Equestrian Epona
by Shritistrang
Summary: For the longest time, Epona has served as the loyal mount of Link, hero of Hyrule. But what if one day, she finds out that she's actually from a world inhabited by intelligent equines such as herself? And when she gets the choice in which world she wants to live... what world would she choose?
1. A pony named Epona

Let me tell you something about the hero of time.

No, I'm not talking about how the common Hylian sees him. Let's talk about him from a completely different point of view. Not from the people he saved, not from his friends, not from the princess who governs Hyrule. Not even from the eyes of his enemies.

Let's talk about how the hero of time is viewed by the individual who sees herself as his closest friend and ally, his trusted companion and the one who considers herself closer to him than anyone else has ever been. The young boy named Link who grew into a man during his long and arduous adventure… he never had any family to speak of. He never met his parents and the closest thing he had to a sister was forced to part with him as soon as they realized their destinies were different from each other. He never fell in love and never had that many friends. Not even that annoying, bug-winged ball of light could claim that she was as close to him as I was.

I was the one who was constantly at his side. I was the one who carried him through thick and thin. I was the one who came running whenever he played that beautiful tune on his instrument. And even though I never could follow him into the depths of all those dangerous dungeons he ventured into, I loyally waited for him to come back out, all the time. I even came with him when he set out to find that stupid fairy… Only Nayru knows what he sees in her. Of course, I regretted that decision as soon as that mischievous imp jumped on my back and startled me so much that I ran away as fast as my little legs could carry me. Curse my muddled little horse brain…

But still, he came back for me. That moment alone showed me how much he cared. It doesn't matter that I'm a completely different species than him. It doesn't even matter to me if he thinks I'm nothing but a common, unintelligent beast of burden. As long as I can stay at his side, I'm happy.

Now don't confuse these feelings with love. This is nothing like it. I don't feel any physical attraction to him. And it's not sibling love either. I don't know how to call it, but every time I run towards him, every time he rides into battle on my strong back, I feel the strong bond between us. A bond of loyalty and friendship.

I understand completely if most of you are confused by now. Yes, you might have guessed it already by my words: I'm a horse. My name is Epona, and I'm the loyal mount of Link, hero of time. I can already imagine how some of you might scratch your heads and think: An intelligent horse? How in the worlds can that be? All of you, feel free to think that way. It is completely understandable. Every person in Hylia, Termina and many of the other countless worlds that seem to exist would think like that. Horses are not supposed to be intelligent. Sure, this is a magical land whith fairys and magic and talking scrubs… but horses are horses. They never talk.

Well, let me use this chance to tell you about a different topic: My dreams! Yes, horses do dream. However, they usually are nothing special. Your common workhorse dreams of nothing more than a warm stable, a caring owner and a tasty carrot now and then. A warhorse might dream of carrying her master into glorious battle. But my dreams are different.

In my dreams, horses can talk. Or more importantly, ponies can talk.

In my dreams, I'm in a completely different world. It's a world as magical and fantastic as Hyrule, but it's much more colorful and lively. While Hyrule is beautiful, it can also be dark, creepy and dangerous. Stalchilds roam the plains at night, graveyards are haunted by Poes and man-eating Dodongos inhabit the mountain.

Sure, there are dangers in my dream world too. But you don't see them that much. They are hidden away in their own small dark corners of the world. Everything else is bright and happy and full of sunshine and rainbows. And there are no bipeds anywhere. Not counting the occasional minotaur or rupee-eating canine. The predominant species in this world are equines. Ponies, to be exact. They talk, they laugh, they work, they play, they do magic and fly through the sky.

This is Equestria. And in my dreams, I live there, among others of my kind. I'm not seen as the dull-minded animal, but as an equal among equals.

I don't know when these dreams started, but I know I had them before I met Link for the first time. At first, life on the farm was as dull as it could be. I was a lively little filly and felt imprisoned within the boundaries of this fence, these high walls. Sure, the farmer's little daughter was nice and caring and had the most melodic voice I ever heard, but it was still a prison. Only after meeting Link, after becoming his companion, would I begin to experience true freedom.

But before that, Equestria was my only escape. Before meeting Link, it was the only place I found joy. I was a pony among ponies. Like in Hyrule, I was working on a farm. But unlike here, I actually owned it. My family owned it, to be precise. Yes, I had a true family back then. Here at the Lon Lon Ranch, I only have the Hylians who take care of me. But in Equestria, everything was different. My family was not only big, we were proud. Proud to be part of this family, proud to be farmers, proud of being an earth pony.

Oh, excuse me. You probably don't really know what that is. Earth ponies, they are one of the three dominant pony species in Equestria. Pegasi have wings and control the weather. Unicorns have horns and weave magic spells. Earth ponies don't have horns and wings, but they are strong. They are tough. And they are stern. They take care of the earth they walk upon and the earth gives them back.

In my dreams, I was an earth pony. And I couldn't be happier. But every time I woke up, every time I had to bid this wonderful land farewell, it felt like waking up from a dream. Which it was. I'm not an earth pony. I can't talk. I'm just regular old Epona.

But I shouldn't complain. I have something other horses don't have. I am the companion of the hero who saved Hyrule and Termina. And I wouldn't want it different. Not for all the carrots in the world, not for all the free land to roam and not even for Equestria would I ever want to leave his side. I would be his house, his mount, his friend. Forever.

And for the longest time, I believed it would always be like this.

And just when I accepted my place, my place alongside my friend, my place in Hyrule… that's when my true story started. Listen closely, and I will tell you about it.

* * *

It happened after Link and I returned from Termina. We never did manage to find that annoying fairy, thank Farore. We came back to Hyrule, the land we left after Link defeated the King of Evil and was transported back through time, back into his own childhood. Don't ask me how all that works, my little horse brain is confused every time I try to think about it. Anyways, Link was back and everyone was glad. He started a new life and became older, naturally, aging over the years, as he was supposed to. The boy became a man. And me? Well, the filly became a mare. But did our lives change a lot after this? Not really. We still roamed the country in search of adventures, we assisted the people of Hyrule whenever they were in trouble and I carried Link into battle against monsters. Sure, Ganondorf was no more. But there have always been monsters in Hyrule and there always will be.

I still remember how Link and I rode across the wide plains of Hyrule Field. Like always, I enjoyed the freedom. Back at the farm, I was never able to run this fast. I was so enthralled by the speed, the adrenaline, the wind in my mane… I almost didn't notice the giant shadow approaching us. Not until it blocked out all of the sun.

It was a giant bird, bigger than any of the monsters I had seen Link fight. It swooped down on us, razor-sharp claws spread. And it was aiming for Link. Yes, I could see it clearly: The beast wasn't just attacking randomly, it didn't attack because it was hungry, it didn't pick a random Hylian. Its enormous eyes were focussed completely on my rider and I realized it was here for him.

I couldn't let it take him.

Link shouted an order, but I didn't listen. With a shrill whinny, I bucked as hard as I had in my entire life. I used all my power to throw Link off my back, to get him out of that bird's reach. I know he survived worse falls, this was nothing. And I knew I just put myself in the most dangerous situation a horse could be in. But I didn't care. As long as he was safe.

The last thing I remember was the pain when the enormous claws closed around my body, squeezing the life out of me. I couldn't even tell if the monster was lifting me off the ground or not. The pain was worse than anything I felt before. It was so unbearable that I lost conciousness.

The first thing I noticed after waking up were the voices. The voices of the only two Hylians I ever cared about.

„She's waking up."

„Do you think she'll make it?"

„Of course she will! Don't be stupid. What I'm worried about is why she looks like this. Are you sure that song did what it was supposed to do?"

„Hey, I used it four times, once on me. It always worked."

I opened my eyes. What confused me right away was how big everything seemed to be. I realized I was lying on a soft straw bed in the stables of Lon Lon Ranch, but even while lying down, Link shouldn't be THIS tall.

I wanted to give them a small nicker, to show them I was fine. Instead, I started talking in a soft, sleepy sounding voice: „What's the matter, y'all?"

Link and Malon looked at me like I had grown an additional head. „She TALKS!" Malon gasped. „How can she talk? Link, what have you done? Your stupid song messed everything up." She grabbed Link by his tunic and started shaking him. She always does that when she's angry.

„I d-d-don't know, seriously! I have no explanation for any of this. I don't know why she looks like this, why she talks and why she has that thing on her flank."

„Huh? What thing?" I muttered and turned my head. I was still sleepy, so the fact that I just spoke like a Hylian wasn't too clear to me yet.

But I was wide awake as soon as I took a closer look at myself and saw just how much I had changed. Not only was I a lot smaller, I also had a shorter and probably also cuter muzzle. My body proportions were different and my eyes were WAY bigger than before. But what stood out most was the thing I saw on my flank, the symbol I've grown used to see several times on my journey with Link. Heck, I've even often enough on the back of his hand.

It was the image of the Triforce. Courage, Wisdom and Power, put together to form the symbol of the gods.

And it was my cutie mark.

Now just what are cutie marks? A cutie mark appears on a pony's flank as soon as she or he found that very certain something that makes her or him special. Basically, it shows the pony's destiny.

The only problem is: Cutie marks only exist in Equestria. Which is a place that only exists in my dreams.

Yet here I was, a pony. With a cutie mark showing the Triforce on my flank. What exactly that meant for my own destiny was a whole different story altogether. What I was more worried about was the fact that I looked exactly like I did when I was dreaming of Equestria.

I looked back up at the two Hylians that were still watching me with worry. Link hesitantly reached out with his hand. „E… Epona?"

„Um… howdy," I replied.

My Hylian partner certainly did not know how to react to that. In all fairness, neither did I. Link reached out with his finger, continuously poking the three golden triangles that now adorned my side. He continued doing so until it got on my nerves.

„Would you cut that out?" I snapped.

„Um, sorry," he sheepishly said and pulled back his finger. „I just don't know… is it really you?"

„Uh… yeah," I said. „And before y'all ask me, I have not the slightest clue how this happened."

„This is incredible," Malon gasped. I nearly forgot she was there. „My little Epona, the same filly I raised on my own here on the farm… and I'm able to talk to her." She seemed giddy all of a sudden. „Eeeeeee!" she squealed as she hugged me. „You're soooo cute!"

„Would you knock it off already?" I said in annoyance. „Honestly, you two are acting as if you've never seen a talking pony before."

„Well, of course we haven't," Malon said, still wearing that silly grin. Of course, she didn't let go of me either. „Ponies don't talk."

Oh, right. I forgot I wasn't in Equestria at the moment. Strange, being in this form almost made it feel like… wait a minute.

„Oh my gods!" I gasped. „It's true! It's all true. I thought it was just a dream, but it's true."

Link and Malon exchanged a confused glance. „Ehm… just what is true, exactly?" Link asked.

„My dreams! They were true all this time. I was living in this other world, as a pony among ponies, and… I had family there." The severeness of the truth hit me hard. „Dear Farore… no, dear Celestia… whatever… I really AM a member of the apple family."

„Epona, dear," Malon softly said. „Would you mind terribly to tell Link and me just what the hell you're talking about?"

I took a deep. „Okay… I will. But only if you let go of me already."

„Fine…" she muttered as she reluctantly pulled away her arms.

So I told them. I told them everything. About Equestria, about the three kinds of ponies that lived there, about my family. About the husband I suddenly knew I had, the lovable children we had, the parents that passed away way too soon and the many brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces. About the festivals we had together, the Apple family reunions and the Equestrian holidays we celebrated together, such as Hearth's Warming Eve and Nightmare Night. I talked and talked and talked. And the more I talked, the more all of this stopped seeming like a distant dream to me, but as the honest truth. And I started to realize that my dreams were more than that… they were memories of my former life. Of my life as Epona Apple.

My story went on late into the evening. During my story, Malon's father Talon had entered the barn to see why she wasn't preparing dinner. After seeing me and hearing me talk, his eyes went just as wide as the two younger Hylians. But instead of interrupting me, he quietly sat down next to them and listened as I continued. When I was finally finished, the three of them stared down at me, eyes wide with disbelief. I certainly could not blame them. It didn't happen a lot that someone you thought you knew turned out to be someone completely else.

„But wait… that doesn't make any sense," Link said. „You said you had this huge family in Horsewhatsia…"

„Equestria…" I corrected him with a frown.

„Right. That. You said you're from that land and not Hyrule… but how come I met you when you were a filly? Malon raised you on this farm. You were born here, right?"

„That's not exactly true, boy," Talon spoke up. „Epona was not born here at Lon Lon Ranch. We raised her here, true, but none of the horses we own is her mother. I found the little filly in front of the main gate, back when Malon was a baby. She was wrapped in a blanket, completely alone."

„Someone left a baby horse at your doorstep and you never found that weird?" Link asked.

„Of course it was weird, but what was I supposed to do? Leave her alone in the wilderness of Hyrule Field so the Stalchildren get her?"

„It certainly was weird, but I was very happy to see Epona grow older alongside me," Malon smiled. „Even though she's a horse, she was like the sister I never had. I would never question why she was brought to us, I was just happy to have her."

„So, in other words… you decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth." We all groaned at Link's horrible pun.

„But you're right, Link," I then said. „It doesn't make any sense. I remember my family, all of them. I remember my parents. I remember marrying my husband. I remember giving birth to my darling children. I remember every single time my cousin bested me in a lasso contest. But I also remember growing up on this farm. Somehow… I ended up here, in Hyrule, turned back into a foal." I clutched my head with my front hooves. „I'm trying to remember, but… my heard hurts every time I do that. I know that both of my lives are real, but that's it."

„You poor thing," Malon said as she gently stroke my mane. It felt really good, so I didn't stop her. „You must miss them a lot."

„So… you believe me?" I asked.

She smiled. „Why wouldn't we? You are Epona, the foal I grew up with. Besides, what reason would you have to lie?"

„Yeah, why shouldn't I believe the girl who carried me through thick and thin?" Link added with that cocky grin of his. „By the way, I think I never truly thanked you for all those times you helped. Thanks a bunch, buddy."

I smiled up at him. Yes, Link would be the first to believe such a story. How could I be foolish enough to think he would ever doubt me?

I then thought of something. „How exactly did I turn back to normal? All I remember is that huge bird and next thing I know is waking up here with you guys."

„To make a long story short, I pelted that featherbrain with arrows until he let go of you. That seemed to make him change his mind about having us for lunch, because he flew away after that. I didn't go after him, of course. I had to check up on you. And to be honest, I really thought I'd lose you back then." I looked into Link's eyes. They were filled with sorrow while he retold that scene. I could tell how much he really cared and how worried he was back then to lose me. „Your wounds were so severe, it was unlikely you'd survive if I went to get help. And you're really to heavy to carry you around, so I had to help you myself. But what was I supposed to do? I had no red potions left and you know I know next to nothing about first aid. So I did the only thing I could think of: I took the Ocarina of Time and played the Song of Healing."

Of course! How could I not think of it sooner? The song Link learned from that creepy mask salesman. Capable of healing body, spirit and soul. „I see… the song did not only cure my wounds, but also turned me back into my old pony self." If I needed any other proof that my true form was that of an earth pony, this was it.

Link nodded. „Yeah, I was pretty surprised when you shrank down into a little pony. But at least you're light enough for me to pick you up like this. So I carried you all the way to Lon Lon Ranch, which wasn't that far away."

As I said, many people see their horses only as beasts of burden. As tools to do their dirty work for them. And if they don't work properly, they might even beat them. But people like Link and Malon are nothing like that. For them, a horse is a companion. A friend.

„Thank you for saving me, Link," I smiled.

„Hey, no problem." He returned the smile and gave my head an affectionate pet. I leaned my head into his soft caress and sighed. I always loved it when he did that.

„Now… what are we going to do?" Malon asked.

I hadn't thought of that. I was glad to clearly remember my past life, instead of just seeing it in my dreams. I know I would love to see it again, be with my family… but was there even a possibility to go back to Equestria? Our accidental trip to Termina was nothing either of us had control over, and up to this day, we never really knew just how we were able to travel back and forth. Also, leaving Hyrule would mean leaving Link behind. Is that really what I wanted. On the other hoof, there was another problem. Now that I was a pony, I was too small to serve as a mount for Link. Did that mean no more adventuring at his side?

Then I thought of something. „That blanket you found me in… do you still have it?"

Talon pointed upwards. „I think it's upstairs in that chest filled with old stuff from Malon's mother. Do you want to see it?"

I nodded, and the old farmer got up and left the barn. A couple of minutes later, he returned with the blanket. He laid it down in front of me so I could have a closer look. It was made out of a dark blue cloth and dotted with small white stars and a crescent moon.

The Hylians patiently watched and waited while I tried to remember where I had seen that image before. And then it hit me. I suddenly remembered seeing this very same image while reading an old mare's tale in a book.

„I know this symbol," I said. „It's the mark of the Mare in the Moon."


	2. Onwards to the Castle

Let me tell you about the Mare in the Moon.

As I said, she's an old pony's tale. A story to frighten little children. According to legend, she was a wicked mare of darkness sealed away in the moon that would one day be released and bring forth everlasting darkness over Equestria. I never believed that story to be true, in the same way the Hylians never believe the old legend about how the area around Lake Hylia used to be a huge desert once.

Still, there was the fact that the blanket Talon found me in had the same symbol on it I saw in that old book. That same book I used to read my children bedtime stories from. It countained multiple stories that all probably sounded very exciting or even frightening for little foals. Why should I believe them to be true?

Maybe it wasn't really such a big mystery. Maybe the previous owner of that blanket just enjoyed reading old stories like that. It still didn't tell me anything about how I appeared in Hyrule, as a foal, in front of the ranch.

„Mare in the Moon?" Link asked. „What's that?"

„N… nothing. It's not important," I quickly said and folded the blanket back together. A yawn then escaped my muzzle. „Hayseeds, I'm tired. And all this thinking isn't getting us anywhere. Would you guys mind if we call it a day and sleep on it?"

„That's actually a very good idea," Talon nodded. „It's getting late, and here on the farm we tend to get up early to do the chores."

„Don't you mean Ingo and I are getting up early?" Malon frowned. „You're usually sitting on your lazy bum and let us do all the work."

„Now listen here, girl!" Talon tried sounding stern. That never worked. „I'm the one taking care of the cuccos, that's a very important job."

„Last time I saw you ‚take care' of them, they crawled all over you while you were sleeping," Link grinned. I snickered at that.

Talon huffed. „Why, I oughta… You young'uns certainly need to learn how to treat your elders with some respect."

He and Malon then got up to leave. Before closing the barn door, Malon turned around one more time and asked Link: „Are you sure you don't want to sleep in the farmhouse? Dad can always take the couch."

But he only smiled at that. „No thanks. This straw is enough for me. Besides, Epona will have some company this way."

I blushed. „You… don't have to stay just because of me," I said. „Besides, there are still the other horses."

„Aw, stop it. We always guarded each other when we were camping out in Hyrule Field, didn't we? Why should it be different this time around?"

That made me smile. I was actually glad he decided to stay. I didn't know exactly why, but thinking of spending the first night in this new… or rather, old body made me feel uncomfortable. „Thank you."

„Well then, your decision. Sweet dreams, you two," Malon said with a smile before closing the door behind her.

Funny she would say that. Because that's the reason why I felt so nervous: The dreams! Up until now, I always used to dream of my old life in Equestria when I fell asleep. But now that I was back to my old self and knew it was more than a dream, would that change?

Link must have noticed how worried I was, since he knelt down next to me and asked: „What's the matter?"

I looked up at him. „I dunno… I guess I'm just afraid that if I go to sleep now, I might go back to Equestria for sure. And if that happens… I might not be able to come back."

Link took off his hat and scratched his head. That was always a sign that he was deep in thought. People might not guess, but Link was actually a very smart guy. Sure, he could act like a blockhead sometimes, but when it came to solving problems and puzzles, I never met anyone like him.

„Do you really think you actually ARE in Eq… Equestria when you dream about it?" he then asked.

„Well… no. I'm sure the dreams were just memories of my past life. But still, it felt so real… what if the next time, I will actually be there? It could happen!"

I couldn't tell if Link was believing that theory of mine. Truth to be told, it was pretty far-fetched. But could you blame me? This day, everything changed for me. It was just natural for me to be scared. Still I saw that he was taking my fears seriously.

Suddenly, he smiled. „You know, I could always stay up and guard you for the rest of the night. That way, I can make sure you don't go anywhere. How does that sound?"

„You would do that for me?" I asked. Stupid question. Of course he would.

„Sure. You had a pretty rough day. You need the sleep more than I do. And you know I can do a day or two without sleeping if I have to."

That was true. When Link entered the fearsome Forest Temple, it took him longer than a day to solve all the puzzles within and defeat the monsters lurking inside. And back in Termina, we always had to hurry because… well, it's complicated. Let's just say something big and heavy would fall on our heads if we wasted too much time on sleeping.

I still wanted to protest, but I was simply too tired to do so. My head slowly fell back on the straw and I muttered: „You really are the best friend a pony… could… ask for…"

I closed my eyes and the last thing I heard was Link's voice as he said: „Sleep well, my little pony."

* * *

Turns out my fears weren't justified. I didn't stay in Equestria. Actually, I didn't dream anything that night. I still felt very relaxed when I woke up in the morning, to the rooster's crow. A short glance to my left and I could see that Link was still peacefully snoring.

Well, not for much longer, if this mare had anything to say about it, I thought. I grabbed the sleeve of his tunic with my teeth and shook him. That was my favorite way of waking him up. And after only two shakes, his eyes flew open and he stuttered: „Wha… wha…? Huh? What? I'm awake, I'm awake…"

I let go of him and giggled. „Looks like I'm getting better at this. Last week I needed at least five shakes to wake you up."

He groaned. „You're enjoying this, aren't you? Can't a guy sleep a little longer in the morning?"

„Not a chance! You're always like this: Getting up late, missing half of the day. Well, not today, mister. This is a special day so you're getting your butt out of bed right now." And to emphasize, I pushed my head into his back.

„All right, all right, no need to be pushy. Sheesh. Why do I have the feeling that having a talking horse is going to be very difficult?"

I snorted. „Are you kidding? I'm glad I can finally tell you everything that's on my mind. Now that I can actually talk, maybe you'll start listening to me for a change, instead to that annoying glowbug Navi."

„Can we please not talk about Navi now?" Link sighed. „What's so special about today, anyway?"

„In case you forgot, I just found out I'm actually a pony from Equestria. And there's a lot I'd really like to know, such as: How did I get here? Why did I become a horse? Why did that blanket have that symbol? And is there a way for me to get back? And you are going to help me find the answers."

„A quest for the truth behind your past, huh? Well, it's not the first time we tried something unusual. But how do you suggest we start?"

„I would suggest by getting up and making breakfast. I'm hungry!" And again, I pushed against his back.

„Okay, okay, you win," he sighed as he finally got up to his feet. „What do you want for breakfast? Carrots?"

I grinned. „How did you know?"

Of course, Malon was already working on her daily chores by the time Link set foot outside of the barn. And while he went to wash his face and pack some things, Malon brought a basket with carrots she and I shared for breakfast. Let me tell you here just how much I love carrots. Sure, apples aren't bad either and my family back in Equestria was famous for their apple farms and plantations, but in my opinion nothing was better than a nice, crunchy, juicy carrot.

„Link and I are leaving today," I told her before taking a bite.

„Already?" I heard the disappointment in her voice. „Can't you stay for a little longer? Think of all the things we could discuss, now that you actually can talk."

„Some other time, maybe. Listen Malon, I'm really sorry. But this is something I need to do. I need to find out more about what happened to me."

„I know," she sighed. „I'm just worried, you know? What if… what if you find your way back to that other land and never come back?" She choked down a few tears, but I could see her distress. It bothered me to see this girl who always cared for me, who was basically my Hylian equivalent of a sister, in such a state of sadness, so I put my head in her lap to comfort her.

„Listen… whatever happens, I promise I won't be gone forever. You and Link are the only two people I ever cared about in Hyrule. Don't think for one moment I'm going to abandon you. I'll be back, I promise."

She sniffled a bit, but then forced herself to smile. „All right then… I want you to know that whatever you do, wherever you go, there's always a warm stable here to come back to." She gently petted my mane. „It's so strange. You're almost as small as you were as a filly, but I was a little girl myself back then."

„Ponies are smaller than horses, nothing strange about it."

She shook her head. „No, what I mean is that I always knew you as a horse, not a pony. I really need to get used to this."

„Well, once we're back, you'll have all the time to get used to it," I smiled up at her.

She gave me a hug around my neck. „Be careful out there. And take care of Link. He means as much to me as he means to you, you know?"

Of course I knew that Malon always had a bit of a crush on the ‚fairy-boy'. Still, she never told him about it since she felt uneasy because of the many other females in Link's life. „Aren't you going to tell him?" I asked her. „He has to know at some point."

„Yes, but I just need a bit more time. Admitting my feelings just like that isn't easy, you know?"

I thought back to when I first confessed my love to the stallion I married. It also took me some time to gather all my courage, but in the end, it was worth it. Maybe Link and Malon would one day have a family on their own.

When Link came back, his bag packed full with supplies such as Deku Nuts and Lon Lon Milk, I jumped to my hooves. „Ready to go?"

„Um, sure. But you still haven't told me where we're going."

„Use your brains, knucklehead. Where can we go to find information about magic and other worlds?"

As I said before, Link was a very smart guy. But sometimes, he needed a bit of time to figure things out. This time was not different. „The Hyrule Castle library?" he asked.

„Bingo!" I smirked. „I bet old Rauru has one or two books lying around that can tell us just what we need to know."

„And once we find out there is a way to Equestria?"

„One step after the other, big guy. We'll think about that when we're there. For now, it's off to Hyrule Castle!"

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, traveling across Hyrule Field is not too dangerous… if you remember to follow the following two rules. One: Only travel during the day! Make sure to be safe inside a town or village by the time the sun sets, or you'll be ambushed by Stalchildren. They are not that dangerous for a seasoned fighter, but they come in endless waves. And two: Make sure never to get close to those ominous, red bushes you might see growing across the plains. If you keep your distance, you're fine. But if you get to close, you might quickly notice that those bushes are in fact peahats… carnivorous plants who slice every living prey into tiny bits, using their blade-like propeller leaves.

Link and I have traveled these plains quite often and know about these rules. Therefore, our trip to Hyrule Castle was neither very long nor dangerous. It also helped that Lon Lon Ranch wasn't that far away from Castle Town's main gate.

Actually getting inside the castle, however, wasn't going to be that easy. To see Princess Zelda, or the sage Rauru, Link always had to sneak into the castle via a hidden passage across the moat, which lead directly into the castle's courtyard. I've never really seen the inside of the castle before, so Link showed me the best way to sneak past the guards.

„I don't really get the point of this," I muttered. „Why this secrecy? Aren't you the noble hero who saved Hyrule from Ganon?"

"Yeah, maybe. But all I really did was telling them that Ganondorf was up to no good, the guards took care of the rest. Also, I don't really feel comfortable being praised as a hero everywhere I go, that's why I prefer visiting Zelda in secret."

"I guess I understand that... but you did a lot more than just warn the king. You travelled forth and back through time, saved the sages and defeated Ganon in battle and everything..."

"Remember, that only happened in the future," Link pointed out. "A future that I prevented from happening. No one really remembers anything about his reign of terror anymore, because it didn't happen. Do you understand?"

No. I didn't. Maybe it's because I'm a pony, but time travel always makes my head hurt. Whoever invented that concept should be bucked all the way to the top of Death Mountain.

* * *

Somewhere across time and space, a certain brown-coated stallion with a green tie felt the urge to sneeze.

„Bless you, Doctor!" the cross-eyed, grey pegasus mare said as she handed him a tissue.

„Thank you, Derpy. Boy, that certainly came out of nowhere. I wonder if someone is thinking about me at the moment. That's usually how these things work, right?"

Derpy Hooves shook her head and sighed. „Sometimes I don't understand you, Doctor."

* * *

Soon enough, Link and I reached the castle courtyard. Thankfully, no guard saw us sneak in. I know I would have never made it this far in my old form. Being small sure does have its advantages.

I took a moment to admire the surroundings. The courtyard sure was pretty and peaceful. „And what do we do now?" I asked.

„We wait," Link said. „Shouldn't take her too long to notice us. The window to her room is somewhere up there."

He was right. Not too long after we arrived, the princess appeared. She smiled happily when she saw Link. Told you he was popular with the ladies.

„Link!" she said. „It's always a pleasure to welcome you. And refreshing too… those princess duties can be so boring at times."

Link grinned. „Hey there, Zelda. Remember my horsey pal Epona?"

I bowed in front of her. I still had a certain sense of respect towards royalty. I would have done the same in the presence of Princess Celestia. Link could be excused for not following protocol. After all, he and the princess were friends. But me? I was just a regular farm horse… or pony. In either dimension, I considered meeting a princess a great honor.

„This is Epona?" Zelda asked as she looked down at me. „My, you really have a well-behaved companion, Link. But I must say, I always imagined her to be… taller."

„I wasn't always this small, your majesty," I said as I got back up to my hooves. Naturally, the princess seemed pretty surprised, but she did not show it as blatantly as Link and Malon had done.

„This is... certainly a surprise," she finally said. „I never heard of any equine with the capability of speech."

„It's a long story, Zelda," Link sighed. „To be honest, we're not completely sure ourselves how she became like this. We were hoping we could talk to Rauru. He knows a lot, so if there's someone who heard of talking ponies before, it must be him, right?"

„Oh, of course. A brilliant idea, Link. I'm sure he's at the library at the moment. Please, come on in."

We followed the princess inside. A bit worried, I kept turning my head for any signs of guards, but the only people we met were a couple of maids that respectfully lowered their heads before Princess Zelda as we walked past.

„Doesn't all this sneaking around get on your nerves, Link?" I asked. „I mean, Zelda is your friend. And sneaking around through the back entrance every time must be pretty annoying."

„I wish it were that easy," Zelda said. „But unfortunately, the guards are acting on my father's orders. And as long as he refuses to accept the honors and titles that come with being a hero of the kingdom, he has to be treated like any other commoner. I'm sorry, but my father is old-fashioned that way."

„But Link here saved all of Hyrule!" I protested.

"I still don't like being praised, okay?" Link muttered. "If being a hero means parades, titles and ceremonies, I prefer being with my closest friends."

„That reminds me… whatever happened on your search, Link? Did you find Navi?" Zelda asked.

Both Link and I grimaced when that topic was brought up. Link had never talked to anyone about his adventure in Termina beside Malon. And I would have preferred if the princess hadn't mentioned that stuck-up, annoying, pesky little…

Sorry. You must have noticed by now that I don't like Navi very much. Even thinking of her makes me mad. I'll tell you the reasons later. Maybe.

„It's… a long story, princess," Link just said. Zelda simply nodded and didn't press the matter.

We then reached the library, I was astonished. I remember we used to have a library in my hometown back in Equestria, but I'm sure it wasn't this big. I've never seen this many books in my entire life… neither of them. Somewhere behind the many, many bookcases, we heard muffled mumbling and the rustling of old pages.

„Rauru? Are you there? We have visitors. Link is here, and he brought a friend." Zelda shouted.

„Can't he come back another day?" came a gruff, deep voice from the back of the room. „I'm extremely busy with my research regarding Hylian genealogy. Some of these old theories are truly fascinating. Have you known that the Kokiri are descendant of a race of plant-like creatures?"

„This is going to take a while," Link groaned. „When Rauru is obsessed with something, it's very difficult to pry him away from his books."

„You don't say!" I said in a sarcastic voice. „I never would have figured. Plant creatures are more fascinating than a talking pony with the Triforce on her flank?"

Immediately, the rustling and mumbling stopped. For a moment, there was silence. Then, in a matter of seconds, an old and for his speed surprisingly stout man came running around the corner. I'm sure his sandals left skid marks on the floor when he came to a stop in front of us.

He huffed and puffed a bit, then he took a deep breath and asked: „Did you say… pony? With a… mark on her flank? Maybe a… cutie mark?"

My eyes widened. „How do you know that?"

I'm pretty sure this was the first time he took a clear look at me, the way he stared and gasped for air. „In… incredible! Ha… haha! A pony! A real, live pony, standing right here, in my own library! Haha! What a day! What a joyful day!"

Link of Zelda exchanged confused glances. I didn't really know what to say either. Sure, I could talk… but was having a pony in your library really a reason to freak out like that?

But Rauru didn't give me a chance to speak, he blurted out: „This is sensational! For the longest time, I've been ridiculed by the public. I've been laughed at by my colleagues. And now… now, for the first time, all of my theories are proven to be correct. Haha! The old writings were right about everything. By Din's blazing flames, this is a glorius day. The ancient, legendary kingdom of Equestria truly exists!"

I froze. „You… know about Equestria?"

„Oh yes, I know. I know everything, I read everything. About the princesses, the three tribes, their unusual kind of magic…" He suddenly knelt down in front of me, staring directly into my eyes. „Oh, what an honor! I can't tell you just how much of an honor it is for me too meet a resident of Equestria. Welcome to Hyrule, honored guest! Welcome!"

For a moment, everyone kept quiet.

Then Link said: „Well, looks like he likes you, Epona. But don't expect me to kneel in front of you as well."


	3. A Fairy and a Breezie

Let me tell you that I had no idea how to react for a moment when Rauru knelt down in front of me. Deciding to ignore that part for now, I asked him: „How do you know all this?"

„Oh, I've been reading," he said while getting up. „I studied all the books in this library, and tried memorizing every little detail. Knowledge is power, little pony. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Now, many scholars believe a lot of what I read about Equestria to be nothing but fairy tales, since for the longest time, there had been no real proof that our two kingdoms had connections before. That is, until now."

„You're talking about Epona, aren't you?" Zelda asked the wise man.

Rauru nodded. „Indeed. This might be the very first contact between a resident of Hyrule and a resident of Equestria. I am so excited!"

„Sorry to disappoint you, but the first person who made ‚contact' with me would be Link," I said, pointing a hoof at my green-clothed companion.

„Hmm, of course. Of course. I didn't mean to take away your moment of glory, my boy." He patted Link's shoulder with a fatherly smile. „Be proud, Link. You can be the first ambassador of Hyrule. You will make our country very proud when we send you to Equestria, I am sure of that."

Link scratched the back of his head. „Well, it's not like I asked for this. Epona's just my friend, even before I found out she's a… wait a minute. What did you just say?"

„To Equestria?" Zelda asked, her voice filled with astonishment. „Are you serious?"

„Of course!" Rauru said with a hearty laugh. „After all, we can't send this little pony back home without a proper escort. That would be impolite, don't you think?"

„Excuse me, but… I don't really know how to get back to Equestria. I'm not even sure how I got here in the first place," I spoke up.

„You don't know?" The sage stroked his beard. „Now that's puzzling indeed. But worry not, my friends. I have the perfect solution. Wait just a moment, and I'll have a spell ready that will summon a guide who can take us to any faraway land, as long as we know about its existance." And he started rummaging through a stack of old books.

I was very puzzled by this turn of events. „What are you talking about? What guide?"

„A fairy, of course. Fairies are the embodiment of magic, flitting on the arcane streams, fluttering back and forth between worlds. Exchanging information through the borders and guiding those who are destined for greatness. That's why they are so great companions for the Kokiri, who never grow old. And the lost woods are rich with ancient magic, an ideal place for them to flourish."

„Hold on… you're saying that fairies can travel between worlds just like that?" Link asked.

„Well, of course not just like that. The procedure is a bit complicated and requires a special amount of magic on the fairy's part. Magic that will only be activated by a certain factor that differs from realm to realm. In Equestria, this factor is a breeze caused by pegasus wings. Here in Hyrule, it is done with an ancient melody. Fortunate for us, I happen to know the exact notes that need to be played. It's here in this book…" Rauru took a heavy and very dusty tome out of the bookpile and started thumbing through. „I'm sure it's here somewhere… aha! There it is! The Ballad of the Breezies!"

Link looked into the book in confusion. „What's a Breezie?"

„Oh, they are a type of fairy. Not that common in Hyrule, I admit. From what I understand, they pass through Equestria on their travels. But this song can be used to summon any kind of fairy. And if she feels generous, she will guide the musician through the corridors between the realms. Now you take a good look at these notes, boy. And princess… if I may?"

„What? Oh, the ocarina. Certainly!" The princess handed Rauru the fabled Ocarina of Time, who passed it on to Link.

Link took it and studied the musical notes carefully. After having learned this many magical tunes for the ocarina, remembering one more was no problem at all. „So let me get this straight," he then said. „This song is supposed to summon a fairy who can bring me and Epona to Equestria, right?"

„That's what I've been telling you this whole time, my boy," Rauru said.

Link knelt down next to me and looked into my eyes. „What do you say?" he smiled. „Ready to show me that world you came from?"

To tell you the truth, I was hesitant. After all this time, I would be allowed to go back home. How much time has passed since I've been there, I wondered. Would they even remember me? What if I couldn't go back to Hyrule after we arrived? What if I didn't want to go back?

Then again, I had Link at my side. And he was willing to through all of this with me, at my side. So that certainly gave me enough courage to gather myself and say: „Let's do it!"

Link's confident smile turned into a cocky grin as he raised the ocarina to his lips and started playing a very solemn-sounding tune. I held my breath… every moment now, a fairy would appear. A fairy who would take me home…

When the last note faded, a shimmering circle appeared in the wall directly next to us. It slowly started to expand and grow, revealing a glowing light behind, a blue-glowing ball with fluttering fairy wings…

Oh heck no…

„You who summoned me, listen! Fairy Navi is here to serve as your guide between worlds!" the little glowworm shouted.

If Link had smiled before, now his face seemed to be split into two halves when he opened his mouth. „NAVI!" he shouted in a voice filled with too much joy for my taste. „It's you. It's really you."

„Link?" Navi seemed to be as surprised as he was. „Is that you? Since when do you know the Ballad of the Breezies?"

„I missed you so much… where have you been? We've been looking for you everywhere. Right, Epona?"

„Yeah… sure…" I muttered with no real enthusiasm.

Navi looked down at me. „Epona? Since when is she so small?"

„Epona's a pony now," Link explained. „And she's actually from another world called Equestria. Isn't that neat? But enough of that, where in the world did you disappear to after we beat Ganon?"

„I went home," Navi explained as if that was the most obvious answer. „I mean… no need for you to have a guardian fairy after the job was done, right?" I could tell she was not telling the whole truth, the way she was fidgeting around. But I really couldn't care less about her reasons.

„That's everything?" I shouted. „You thought the job was done and you ditched us. Is that correct? Good. Nice of you to finally share that piece of information with us. Now can you finally take us to Equestria so I don't have to look at your annoying blue face anymore?" I snorted angrily and turned away from her. Of all the fairies we could have as a guide, we had to get her. Just my luck.

„What's the matter with her?" I heard her whispering to Link. Figures she wouldn't know that horses have good ears.

„I don't know what made her so upset," Link whispered back. „I guess we should just get ready to leave. Are you okay with that?"

„Sure. Taking my two best buddies to Equestria should be no problem at all," she said. Again, I snorted.

„Link? Epona?" Together, we looked over to the princess as she addressed the both of us. She smiled. „Excuse me if I haven't said a lot. Rauru is right, all of this is very exciting. It will be the first time in years Hyrule will have contact with a new kingdom. I know father will be very skeptical once I talk to him about this, so… could you two do me a favor? When you go to Equestria, could you ask the regent if she is interesting in forming permanent political ties?"

„Well, I'm sure that's a nice idea and all, but how would that work? We can't use the fairy realm as a transitway every time someone wants to cross the borders," Link said.

„I know Princess Celestia would be delighted, but unless we find another way to cross the borders, I have to agree with Link," I added.

The princess nodded. „I know. But I would still ask you to address her. Wait, let me quickly write an official invitation to form an alliance between our two kingdoms. If she writes back, at least I have something to convince my father that this is more than a fairy tale."

Link shrugged. „Sure, why not."

The princess then quickly wrote her letter, and while Link and Navi used that time to reminisce about old times, I made sure not to look at the fairy too often.

Zelda then walked up to me, an envelope in her hands. „Here. Please give this to Princess Celestia. You, as the only one who lived in both worlds, are most fitted for the position as ambassador."

„You're giving such an important title to me, a creature you believed to be nothing more than a common farm animal?" I asked in bewilderment.

„Don't be silly," she smiled. „Link told me so much about you, and from what I heard I could tell that there was more about you than just a regular horse. If anything, see this as a gift to you, a compensation for being treated as a beast of burden for all these years. Do you accept?"

Since I never met Princess Zeda before, I never really knew what to think of her up to this point. All I could gather from Link's tales was that she was a fair and kind-hearted woman. But now that she offered me such a proposition, I realized just how kind-hearted she truly was. „Thank you, princess," I said as I accepted the letter. „I won't let you down."

„Now, are you ready to go?" Navi asked. I gritted my teeth. Leave it to her to ruin a perfect moment by reminding me of her presence. But since she was my only ticket back to Equestria, I decided to accept my fate. Hooray…

„Al right, I wish all of you the best of luck on your journey," Zelda said. „And may the wisdom of Nayru protect you."

„Take care now, youngsters!" Rauru added. „And be sure to bring me some literature from Equestria when you return. I have so much research to do…"

„Goodbye," Link waved. „See you soon. You girls ready?"

I nodded. „Ready."

„I'll open the gateway," Navi said. She faced the wall with the portal and flew a complex pattern in front of it. Once again, the glowing circle started growing, until it was big enough for a grown Hylian and an earth pony to step through. We waved one last time… then we stepped through.

We found ourselves in a dark tunnel. Behind us, the gate between worlds slowly shrunk smaller and smaller. On the other end of the tunnel, there was a bright light.

„Follow me," Navi said as she flew ahead. „This is one of the many tunnels that lead directly into the land of the fae… that is what all fairies, Breezies and others like us call themselves. Not far from here is Breezie Village, from where the Breezies set out for Equestria."

„Will they mind us going through?" I asked. „I mean, if they are as small as fairies… I don't want to trample them."

„They tend to treat strangers with suspicion," Navi admitted. „But I'm sure they will leave us in peace once I tell them we mean them no harm. I have a friend there, I'm sure he will calm the others down."

We soon left the tunnel and found ourselves in a beautiful forest glade. Wafts of mist hung in the air, giving everything a mysterious atmosphere.

„Say… would it help if I looked like a pony, too?" Link suddenly asked and pulled a mask out of his bag. „I still have this from when I cured Epona."

I blinked. Why didn't I think of this sooner? Of course Link would have a mask after playing the Song of Healing. And it would certainly help him blend in once we're in Equestria.

„Are you sure?" I asked. „You've never turned into anything with four legs before."

„Hey, I've been a Deku, a Goron, a Zora and a giant. How much weirder can it be?" he snickered, then raised the mask up to his face.

„Now wait a moment," I shouted. „If that mask is anything like the others, it will probably…"

„AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" he screamed as his face and body were twisted into that of an equine.

„…hurt like hell," I sighed.

„Oh my gosh, Link!" Navi gasped. „Are you all right?"

„Calm your antennae, it's not as bad as it looks," I snorted. „As I said, it just hurts like hell. He has done this before. A lot, actually."

„You two must have had the most interesting adventures while I was gone…" Navi muttered.

„Ow…" Link grunted as he shook his head. „Serves me right for forgetting such a crucial part…" He then took a moment to examine his new form.

I had to admit, he was pretty handsome for a stallion. He had a light brown coat and his mane was just as blonde as his hair. His clothes had adapted to his four-legged body (except for his boots which simply vanished) and his backpack had turned into a saddlebag. I half-expected his cutie mark to be the same as mine, but when I took a look I saw that it showed the Master Sword instead.

„Hey, looking great," I smirked and gently nudged him with my hoof. „If I wasn't already married I certainly would fall for you, fairy-boy… um… forget I said that…" I blushed.

Navi giggled, but then looked at me. „Married? You are married?"

„Wh-why do you care?" I snapped. „You didn't care what became of us either when you left, did you? Why are you suddenly interested?"

„I… I just wanted… I didn't mean to…" she stammered. Sure, try to find an excuse, glowbug. That won't change a thing.

Link coughed. „So, Navi… about that Breezie Village… is it far from here?"

„No, no, it isn't," she said. Just across that stream, and we're there."

„Okay, then let's get going," I said as I jumped over the water. I couldn't wait to get back home.

„Hey, wait for me!" Link said as he leapt after me… or at least tried to. I heard the loud splash when he fell in the water and turned my head. „Dangit Link, we don't have time for such nonsense."

„Nonsense?" Link grumbled as he shook his wet mane. „You try walking or jumping with more legs than you were born with. How do you do it? I keep getting confused which leg to use next."

„Try not to think about it, it'll come natural in time." I pulled him back onto solid ground and he shook himself dry. Together, we then entered Breezie Village. That is, we took one step and stood right in its middle. I really had to be careful not to step on a house with my hooves.

The Breezies came out of their homes, chattering to each other with excitement and worry. This was the first time I ever saw these tiny, delicate creatures. Even back in Equestria, they were an extremely rare sight. They looked pretty much like pony versions of Hyrule fairies, only that their wings were even bigger and more colorful. On the other hand, the light their bodies emitted wasn't as bright as that of a fairy, so it was easier to see their bodies.

A blue Breezie flew up to Navi and started jabbering in a strange language. Navi replied in that same language. I didn't understand a word. „What's he saying?" I asked. Link just shrugged.

Navi turned to face us. „Sorry, we were talking in the ancient language of the fae. I told Seabreeze that he can speak Equestrian, it's basically the same as Hylian. I also told him that we're only passing through."

„So the lot of you want to go to Equestria?" Seabreeze said as he eyed us. I was able to understand him this time, even if he was talking in a very thick accent. „As long as you just keep walking, I don't really see any reason not to allow it. Just go on, go, go! The portal is over there."

„Wow, you certainly are in a hurry to get rid of us," Link frowned.

„Can you blame me? This is supposed to be our safe haven," Seabreeze said. „Every time we go to Equestria, we are in danger of being blown away by a gust of wind, crushed by acorns, eaten by all the giant animals or sent spinning by a leaf." He muttered something I couldn't quite understand, something about a clumsy dragon? Maybe I misheard that.

„Don't worry, we're going. Thank you for understanding," Navi said and quickly led us out of Breezie Village. Just seconds later, we were standing in front of another tunnel. „Okay, this is the entrance to Equestria. You guys ready?"

I just nodded and followed her. Link stayed at my side the whole time. We followed the tunnel until we found the gate to Equestria on the other end. Navi fluttered another complex pattern in front of it and the glowing circle grew big enough for us to trot through.

I took a deep breath before taking the step. I closed my eyes… then I was through.

„Epona? Is this it? Is this Equestria?" Link asked.

I opened my eyes… and gasped.

I saw the plowed fields, the beautiful apple trees and most importantly, the barn. The oh-so-familiar barn I thought I would never see again. Emotions I thought I had lost years ago started to well up in me and tears started streaming down my face.

The memories came back, with an even greater clarity and intensity than before. Memories of my brave and caring husband, my strong and silent son, my honest and hard-working older daughter and my newborn baby daughter…

This was Sweet Apple Acres. This was Ponyville. This was Equestria.

I was home.


	4. A Mother's Love

Let me tell you about Ponyville.

That little town wasn't the place where I was born. That would be bustling Manehattan. But I always felt I didn't belong there, even as a filly. I was a country pony at heart, which I discovered once I got my cutie mark… the first cutie mark I had, before coming to Hyrule. And after meeting the love of my life, we quickly moved to Ponyville and lived on the farm he inherited from his parents. And I stayed there for the rest of my life. Well, my life in Equestria.

Ponyville was a community full of friendly, helpful ponies. Earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi alike lived there as friends and neighbors. It was a much better life than in Manehattan, where you always had to prove your worth to others. And Sweet Apple Acres was, well… the core of it, if you pardon the pun. The Apple family represented everything I always missed in the big city. Honesty, tolerance and helpfulness, the pride you feel after a day of hard work. And when my darling first told me the story how his mother and her family founded the town back in the days, I could see that the whole town was practically built on these virtues.

So yes, Ponyville was my home. And it will always be. And now that I was finally back in Equestria and saw the familiar landscape, the buildings and the orchard… all of my memories of my previous life came back to me. Up to now, it had all been nothing but that: Memories, hidden away in the back of my head. Sure, I realized that this dream was the truth after turning back into a pony, but as long as I stayed back in Hyrule, it was still foggy and hazy. Now everything was crystal clear.

I almost didn't notice how Link was staring at me with worry. „Epona, are you all right?"

„I remember now," I muttered. I pointed my hoof at a wooden cart standing in front of the barn. „That cart… my honey and I used it when we went for a picnic at the old watering hole. But the wheel was broken and he had to fix it first. And over here…" I ran to one of the nearby apple trees. „We scratched our names into the trunk of this tree." Tears came to my eyes when I put my hoof on the old carving. It was still visible after all these years.

Both Link and Navi stayed silent for a moment while I was standing in front of the tree, eyes closed. I realized they were giving me some time to gather myself. It was a lot to take in, I admit. I was very confused at the moment. My feelings were scrambled and my head was unable to take everything in.

But that was just the beginning. Suddenly, I heard this voice behind me. The sweetest, cheerful little filly voice I ever heard in my life. „Howdy there!"

I slowly turned my head… and froze. That small, yellow body… that red mane, bound by the most adorable bow… and those eyes. Those big, lovable eyes…

* * *

I cried with joy as I held the little bundle in my forelegs. „It's a girl! Honey, it's a little baby girl. Applejack has a little sister." I've given birth to two foals already in my life, but the joy I felt whenever I held one of my own children for the first time was incomparable with anything else.

My husband stepped at my side and glanced down at me and the little foal with a loving expression. „She has your eyes. What do you want to call her, dear?"

I smiled. „Apple Bloom!"

* * *

The filly kept smiling at me. „I haven't seen you on the farm before. Have you come to buy some apples?"

I couldn't blame her for not recognizing me. She was just a baby when I last saw her and now she had to be at last ten years old. I wonder how she did at school. Did she get good grades? And did she make any friends? Seeing my sweet little Apple Bloom like this made me realize how much I had missed while I was gone.

She tilted her head. „Um, miss? Hello? Are you alright?"

„I… I'm fine," I forced myself to say. I was still in a daze. What do you say to your daughter who you haven't seen in ten years?

I must have looked like a fool, but thankfully Link jumped in. „We, um… we're new here. We're from a different town and don't know our way around this one. So, we stumbled here by accident…"

„Oh, you're new?" Apple Bloom asked. „Then watch out for Pinkie Pie once you walk into town. She's gonna freak out once she realizes she has to throw another party." She giggled in the most adorable way. „But since you're already here, why not try one of our apples? I'm tellin ya, they're delicious and nutritious."

„Apple Bloom!" came a stern voice from the barn. „Didn't your sister tell you to leave the sales to her and Big Mac?"

I winced inwardly when I saw her walking up to us. My mother-in-law, the undoubted matriarch of the whole Apple family. I did everything I could to stop me from freaking out. If anypony recognized me, it had to be her. Now don't get me wrong, I loved old Granny Smith like my own mother… but I knew I didn't want my family to know I was back. Not yet, at least.

„But Granny!" Apple Bloom protested. „I still think I have a chance to get an apple selling cutie mark." My gaze wandered over to her little flank, and sure thing, it was blank. My sweetie had yet to get her cutie mark. That thought made me feel a little giddy on the inside. Maybe I could help her find her special talent, like all good mothers should.

„We talk about that later, filly. Now, you get going. Your little friends are waitin for you at Sugarcube Corner, aren't they?"

„Yer right, I almost forgot. Bye!" the filly shouted as she ran off.

Granny Smith smiled. „Please excuse her. That little one is so bent on getting her cutie mark that she's willing to try about anything. Now then, what can an old mare like me do for a couple of young'uns like you?" She then eyed Navi curiously. „Why, is that a Breezie you got with you?"

„Something like that, ma'am," Navi chuckled. „My name is Navi, and these are my friends Link and…"

„Romani!" I blurted out. It was the first name that crossed my mind. „My name's Romani. And we are here because, umm…"

„Because you lost your way and stumbled across Sweet Apple Acres, I got that much when I heard you talking to my granddaughter." She chuckled. „I might be getting old, but these ears are still working just fine. Your name is Romani, is it? Have we met before? You look mighty familiar. Have you ever been to one of the Apple family reunions?"

„No!" I lied. „Never!"

„Really? Oh well, maybe it's because your coat reminded me of cousin Apple Cobbler. Anyways, you have to go down that road to reach Ponyville's town square. I'm sure you'll find your way from there."

„Thanks a lot for your help," Link said.

„Ah, don't mention it. Have a nice day now, y'all. I would invite you inside for a mug of cider, but my two older grandchildren aren't home at the moment and it's a real mess in there."

„Maybe some other time," Link said. „Ep… I mean, Romani? Are you coming?"

With a deep longing in my heart, I took another good look at the house that was my home. How I wished to just walk in there and help Granny with all the chores… but I couldn't do it. Not yet. „Yeah, I'm coming," I said. Together, we walked down the road to Ponyville, past all the majestic apple trees.

„Why didn't you tell her your real name?" Link asked. „Isn't that what you wished for? To see your family again?"

„You're right, but… I can't. Not now. I wanted to tell my mother-in-law the truth, I wanted to run up to my little daughter and give her a hug, but then I thought: I was gone all these years. How will they react when they find out I'm back? What if they reject me? They seem to be capable of taking care of the farm by themselves."

„I'm sure they will be happy to see you."

„Maybe… but I still can't do it right now, Link. I need some time."

„So… that was your family?" Navi asked. „Do you want to tell us more about them?"

I felt a surge of anger. Being in the fairy's presence had annoyed me all day long and now I had enough. „Why do you want to know? Why do you even care?" I shouted. „You left us alone and we had to search for you all that time. And never did we hear anything! Why did you decide it was best to leave us right after the job was done?"

Navi was taken aback by my sudden outburst. Link seemed to be just as surprised, but I didn't care. I glared at Navi and kept yelling: „Did it ever cross your mind that we would miss you? We saved Hyrule together. We faced all sorts of dangers together. And then you thought you could just say ‚Oh, that was it? Fine, I guess that means I'll be going now, bye.'? Is that it?"

„Epona…" Link said. „I had no idea. You… you missed her as well?"

„I… I didn't want to… I thought you…" Navi muttered.

„Well, you thought wrong!" I shouted. „Did you honestly think Link was the only one who missed you, Navi? Did you really think the three of us could go on a journey together without creating a bond? Did that thought ever cross your little fairy mind? Or did you think I wasn't important because I was just the dumb horse that always waited outside the dungeons?"

That was it. I couldn't hold it back any longer. All those years I missed her, all the times I was hoping she'd be all right, and the frustration I felt when I heard she was sitting safe at home. Yes, I admit it: Link wasn't the only one I grew close to during our adventure. True, when I first met Navi I thought she'd be very annoying. But I quickly learned that the little blue fairy had a charming personality that kept me entertained and happy on our travels. Whenever we rode across the plains, she'd sit in-between my ears and laugh. Whenever we took a break, she'd struggle to pick up those long juicy carrots I loved so much and carry them up to my mouth. At night she'd either sleep in Link's hat or snuggle within my mane. Yes, Navi is my second-best friend. And I missed her horribly when she left after the journey was over.

„Epona, please calm down," Link told me softly. „I'm sure Navi had a very good reason."

„Oh, did she?" I snorted. „Well, I also have my reasons. And my reason to be angry is flying right there!" I pointed my hoof at Navi.

„P-please let me explain, Epona," Navi sniffled. I saw tears in the corners of her eyes, but I was just too angry at her at that point.

„I just don't care anymore!" I yelled. „You want to leave us alone? Fine! Then leave! I don't need you anymore!"

Navi broke down into sobbing as she turned around and flew away. I didn't know in what direction, I just didn't care at the moment.

Link stared at me. „Epona…"

„C'mon, let's get going," I grumbled as I walked towards Ponyville. „We don't need her."

„If you want to go ahead, fine. But I'll go looking for her." And he ran after her.

I didn't know what to think at the moment. I thought Link would understand. After all, Navi abandoned him as well. But then, Link had never been one to hold a grudge. As for me… well, that had to be the old Apple family stubbornness. I know I wasn't ready to forgive Navi that easily.

For now, I wanted to concentrate on the good things. I was back in Ponyville. I had reasons to be happy.

I didn't feel a lot of happiness.

I saw multiple ponies walking past me, but none of them looked familiar. Ponyville probably had received a lot of new residents over the years I was gone. That grey pegasus with the mailbag for example. Or the white unicorn with the unique glasses and the over-the-top hairstyle… if she was my daughter, I certainly wouldn't allow her to walk around like that.

Most of the buildings were still the same. Town Hall, the library and the schoolhouse… but there were also a couple new stores that must have opened during my absence. I saw what looked like a spa, and a strange building looking like a gingerbread house. Was that some sort of confectionary? Intrigued, I approached it.

Before reaching the front door, I ran into a small group of school-age ponies, and among them was my little Apple Bloom. My heart did a little jump when I saw her again. I was about to steer clear of them, but then I heard what they were talking about.

„Still wearing that same silly old bow?" a pink filly with a tiara said mockingly. „That thing is sooo out of date."

„Yeah," the grey filly with the glasses added. „Can't your family afford new accessories that are more, I dunno, in fashion?"

„Hey!" Apple Bloom protested. „That bow was given to me by my big sister, so lay off."

„Yeah, you don't see us making fun of that tiara you're wearing all the time," said another filly, the cutest unicorn I've ever seen. Probably one of Apple Bloom's friends?

„By the way," the orange pegasus filly next to her added. „That tiara does look pretty stupid."

„Hah! You're just jealous my daddy buys me everything. I just have to ask him. That bow doesn't even look like it's clean," the pink filly continued.

„But it is clean!" Apple Bloom shouted. „I'll have you know that I always get a new, clean bow out of the hats-and-bows-closet as soon as my current one is dirty."

That didn't help her case very much, as the two bullies broke out into laughter.

„A hats-and-bows-closet? Honestly? Wow, no wonder your sister always wears that dusty old hat. You must have so many old things in that barn you call a house… don't you ever buy anything new?" the grey filly chuckled.

„Maybe she can ask her parents to buy her something. Oh wait, I forgot: She doesn't have any!" the pink one laughed.

Something in my heart broke when I saw the tears in my little filly's eyes. If you ever had children, you know there are some things that are never, ever said in the presence of any good mother.

Faster than Link could ever be with the bunny hood in his head, I ran up to the pink little bully and gave her a good slap that made her stumble and fall back on her bum.

„OW!" she cried. „Wh-what the…? Hey! What do you think you're doing, lady?" She held her swollen cheek. „I'm going to tell my daddy!"

„Good!" I shouted. „I would like to have a word with the father of such a spoiled little brat like yourself. And make sure to tell him how you ridiculed another filly for her parents or lack thereof."

With the help of her friend, the grey bully got back to her feet. „Just you wait. My daddy is Filthy Rich, and he's one of the most important ponies in town."

Filthy Rich, I thought to myself. I should have figured. Back in school, I always despised that rich little snot. His family always thought of themselves as better as the common Ponyville resident, just because they were the owners of Rich's Barnyard Bargains, the biggest store in town. Way too often they forgot which family was the one who founded Ponyville.

„Come on, Diamond Tiara. Let's get out of here," her grey friend muttered. Her pink friend nodded and they ran off. But Diamond Tiara turned her head one last time and yelled: „And don't you three blank flanks think this is over!"

Great, a school-age cutie mark supremacist. Filthy sure knew how to raise his kid.

„Are the three of you okay?" I asked. I spoke to all three children, but my eyes were solely on the bow-wearing yellow filly in front of me.

„Y-yes. Ah'm fine," Apple Bloom sniffled. She quickly wiped away her tears. „Thanks for helping me out there, miss…"

„Just call me Romani," I smiled.

„Okay, Miss Romani. Hey, I remember you. You were the one who visited Sweet Apple Acres with her friend."

„Your name is Apple Bloom, correct? I was happy I was able to help. That little brat had it coming. Are these your friends?"

Apple Bloom nodded. „Yeah, this is Sweetie Belle…" she pointed at the unicorn. „And that's Scootaloo." She gestured at the pegasus, who I noticed had unusually small wings for her age.

„Wow, that sure was awesome the way you slapped that little pest Diamond Tiara!" Scootaloo shouted with excitement as she flew around me. It was more of a hover, actually.

„Thanks, kid. But remember that violence is not always the solution," I chuckled.

„Still, you're a cool lady, Miss Romani!" Scootaloo said.

„And what about Rainbow Dash?" Sweetie Belle asked.

„What about her? She's still cooler. I'm sure Rainbow Dash would have done the same thing." Whoever that ‚Rainbow Dash' was, the little filly sure seemed to hold her in high regards.

„Hey, I know!" Apple Bloom suddenly said. „Why don't we all get some cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner? Our treat. Because you helped us with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon." And she gestured towards the entrance of the gingerbread house.

So I was right. It was a confectionary. I was about to refuse, but then my stomach rumbled, reminding me that it was nearly lunchtime. And Link was the one with all the rupees in his wallet.

So I said: „I gladly accept your invitation, girls."


	5. The Hero and the Fashionista

Navi was quite agitated after hearing Epona's angry rant. With teary eyes, the little fairy flew straight ahead, as fast as her wings could carry her. As she didn't really pay any attention where she was going, she didn't see the object in her flight path until she collided with it.

"Ack!" a voice shouted. "There's something bright and shiny stuck on my horn. Bon Bon, quick! Get rid of it."

Confused and disoriented, Navi clung to the object which turned out to be the horn of a mint-colored unicorn pony. The unicorn shook her head violently, which disoriented the fairy even more and on top of that, made her feel dizzy and sick.

The earth pony mare standing next to the unicorn shook her hoof in Navi's direction. "Shoo! Get away from her, you stupid… thing. Lyra, it won't let go. Ugh, looks like some sort of glowing parasprite."

"A parasprite?" Lyra gasped. "Damn you greedy little buzzers… I won't let you eat my delicious cake this time. Feel the wrath of Lyra Heartstrings!"

"No, wait!" Navi shouted, but it was too late. One single, powerful blast of telekinetic energy from the unicorn's horn sent her flying in a wide arch over Ponyville's rooftops.

"It's gone," Lyra sighed. "Finally!"

Blinking, Bon Bon looked in the direction where the flying creature had disappeared. "Is it me or did that parasprite just talk?"

"Looked very strange for a parasprite," Lyra said. "Those appendages on her limbs… wait a minute…" Her eyes widened. "Were those… HANDS?"

Bon Bon facehoofed. "Here we go again…" she muttered.

* * *

'This day can't get any worse,' Navi thought to herself as she was flung through the air via Unicorn Magic Express. Fortunately, her flight was stopped by something big, soft and furry.

"That was close," she sighed. "How fortunate this thing was here to catch me… whatever it is." She looked up… and looked into the face of a gigantic bear. A bear whose stomach she was lying on.

"Me and my big mouth…" she whimpered. "Oh no! Where's Link when you need him? EEEEEEK!" She curled up in a tiny ball when the bear's massive maw came down on her.

But then she heard a very soft voice speaking: "Oh my. What is that you've got there, boy? Please, don't startle it. Whatever it is, the poor thing looks deathly afraid." Navi then felt herself being engulfed in the gentlest embrace she ever felt. When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but curtains of yellow feathers, all around her. A pair of beautiful wings had scooped her up and carefully placed her on top of a small stool.

The yellow pegasus mare pulled back her wings and smiled down at the fairy. "There you go. Nothing to be afraid of, little one. Harry didn't mean to scare you. He's the friendliest bear you can find."

Navi took a deep breath. "Th… thank you. I thought that would be the end of me."

The pegasus let out a surprised gasp. "Y-you can talk? Oh, that's wonderful. I've never seen any creature like you before, what are you? Oh, pardon me… my name is Fluttershy. What's your name?"

"I'm Navi… I'm a fairy." Navi started to relax. The sweet and innocent behavior of the pony helped immensely to calm her nerves.

"A fairy? I've heard of many different creatures before, but never fairies," Fluttershy said. "Are you related to the Breezies?"

"Kind of," Navi nodded. "We live in the same world."

"How fascinating!" Fluttershy gushed. "I have a Breezy friend called Seabreeze. I'm sure the two of you would be the best of friends."

"Seabreeze?" Navi asked in surprise. "But he already is my friend. You know him?"

"Oh yes," Fluttershy nodded. "I met him and the other Breezies when they were passing through Ponyville on their way back to their home. But why don't you come inside? I've made some tea for my little animal friends and myself. Would you like to join us?"

* * *

"Excuse me, have you seen my friend?" Link asked. "She's blue, has dragonfly wings and glows all the time."

"Does she also have HANDS?" Lyra asked.

Link grimaced. That unicorn's grin was… unsettling. "Um, I better keep searching. Bye…" And he left.

Bon Bon sighed. "That is the third stallion you managed to scare off this week, Lyra. At this rate, neither of us is going to find a date anytime soon. You know ponies are starting to think we're filly-foolers, don't you?"

Meanwhile, Link realized he was slowly getting used to his new body. Running on four legs wasn't as complicated as he thought it would be. Just like when he had turned into a Deku, Goron or Zora for the first time, his body seemed to know what it was doing. As if the magic in the mask also gave him all the instincts that were natural to that race.

Being in a village full of creatures he never met before was also no problem. His biggest adventure had begun after he left the Kokiri village for the first time as a child. And during his journey, he had visited all kinds of different settlements inhabited by other races. That they they walked on all fours and were as colorful as a rainbow made these ponies no different. By now, the Hero of Time was used to all sorts of strangeness in his life.

Several minutes later, he decided to give up on his search for Navi for the time being. He didn't have a single clue where she could have disappeared to. On top of that, he didn't know where Epona went either. So he did what he did every time he entered a new village: Go sightseeing and talk to everybody! And as it turned out, the local ponies had a lot to say:

"Are you new in Ponyville? Make sure to visit our library some time."

"Rainbow Dash is our local weathermare, but she's soooo lazy. I wonder how she gets her job done when she sleeps half the time."

"Thank Celestia you didn't visit our little town last week, stranger. It was so awful. All those black, horrible thorns everywhere… the horror! The horror!"

"…do I know you?"

About half an hour later, Link was much more informed about Ponyville than before. Eeyup, talking to villagers always helped to be up to date.

What was next on his to-do list? Visiting all the different shops, of course. And since he was standing right in front of what looked like some sort of shop, he decided to start there.

A small bell jingled when he opened the door.

"Coming!" a melodic voice chanted. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique and magnifique." The proprietor, a charming white unicorn, approached him with a smile. "I am Rarity. How can I help y… WAHAHAAAAHA!"

Link winced when the mare suddenly started running around, looking at him from every possible angle. "Sorry, but… what are you doing?" he asked.

"My stars!" she gasped. "Darling, where DID you get an outfit like that? The design… so simple, yet so dashing! I seldomly see a stallion wear a lot of things outside of formal attire, but this is such a brilliant design. Yet you wear it so naturally."

Link looked down. "You mean… my tunic?"

She nodded. "Oh yes! It makes you look so bold, so adventurous… almost like a courageous hero on an epic journey. Clothes make the stallion, as the old saying goes, and it's certainly true in your case. And that green nicely emphasizes your mane." She then wrinkled her nose. "But I must say, the hat seems a little… silly. I would advise you to go without it."

Now it was Link's time to frown. "But I like my hat."

"Are you sure? I mean, it's up to you, of course. But have you tried wearing a nice headband? Or maybe a hood?"

He shook his head. "The hat stays."

"If you insist," Rarity sighed. "But say, would you mind if I used your outfit as an inspiration? I just had a great idea for an all-new line of stallion's wear."

Link shrugged. "Sure, go ahead. So… this is a clothing store?"

"Why, certainly," Rarity said. "And while I can only praise you for your fashion sense, I understand that a good-looking stallion like yourself would try out something new now and then. So, do you see anything you like?"

'Was I just hit on by a pony?' Link wondered. Instead of pondering that question for too long, he replied: "I never really thought I had a good fashion sense… I usually don't wear anything besides this. To be honest, I can't remember if I've ever seen a boutique in Hyrule Castle Town…"

"Hyrule? I'm very sure I never heard that name before. Is that your hometown?"

"In a way, but I actually grew up in Kokiri Forest," Link said. "You know, right next to Lost Woods…" He stopped himself when he saw the confusion on the unicorn's face. He realized that she probably would have never heard of these names either. "Nevermind," he said. "Say, I'm new in town. Are there any places of interest I should visit while I'm here?"

A big grin then appeared in Rarity's face. "I just know the right place for you. And since you so generously allowed me to use your clothes as an inspiration, let me close the store early for today so I can take you there myself. Since I am a regular customer there, I'm sure they will give you some sort of discount. Come on, now… what was your name again?"

"It's Link."

"Let us go then, Link!" Rarity shouted as she dramatically raised her hoof up in the air. "To the Ponyville Day Spa!"

* * *

"Thank ya kindly for helping me deliver these pies to Goldie Delicious, Pinkie," Applejack said as she pulled the now empty cart along the pathway.

"No biggie," Pinkie Pie smiled while bouncing after her orange friend. "You know I love making my friends smile. And visiting a sweet old lady who lives with no pony but a huuuge amount of kitties while also bringing her lots and lots of yummy pies definitely counts as making somepony smile in my book."

"There you are, girls," Granny Smith greeted them as they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. "Did y'all run into any sort of trouble on your way to cousin Goldie?"

"Nopiedopie!" Pinkie said. "Nothing happened at all on the trip. It was kind of boring actually, if you ask me. I wanted to take the longer route through the scariest cave in Equestria and down that funneriffic waterfall, like last time, but Applejack didn't want to."

"Now Pinkie, I told you I'm very busy today," Applejack chuckled. "Taking the longer route takes too much time. Maybe next time, okay?"

"And you're totally not saying that because you're afraid of going through that cave again, right?" Pinkie asked.

Applejack gulped. "Nope… not one bit."

"Okay, just asking." Pinkie grinned.

"It sure is nice of you to offer your help, Pinkie," Granny Smith said. "Applejack probably would still be on her way to Goldie's hut if you hadn't helped her pull the jalopy."

"Hey, we're cousins now," Pinkie said. "I'm so happy to be part of this family. I'll always help if you need something done."

Applejack couldn't help but smile. It was still unclear if Pinkie really was their fourth cousin twice removed, but in the end, it didn't matter. Every time she came to help on the farm or to visit, it brought joy to everypony. She made the Apples laugh, and in turn, the Apples made her feel at home. Apple Bloom was overjoyed to have a new, second-favorite cousin (Babs was still her favorite) and they had already invited Pinkie to the next Apple family reunion.

"Where's Apple Bloom, Granny?" Applejack asked while putting the cart away.

"She's at Sugarcube Corner with her little friends," Granny said. "Oh, that reminds me: We had a couple of nice visitors on the farm today. A bunch of wanderers from another town. A young stallion, a mare and a little thing that looked like a Breezie…"

"Really? I'm sure Fluttershy would've loved to see that…"

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud gasp.

"There are NEW PONIES in town?" Pinkie shouted. "OHMYGOSH! I need to get everything ready for a welcoming party… seeyouguyslater!" And faster than you could say 'Filli-Second', she was off.

Applejack rolled her eyes in amusement. Typical Pinkie.

"Y'know, Applejack…" Granny said. "There's something about that mare I wanted to tell you…"

Applejack was taken aback. Granny was talking to her in a very calm and focussed voice, something you rarely hear from her nowadays. It always meant that she was about to talk about something serious. "…what is it, Granny?"

"Well, she looked very familiar. I'm not sure… but I'm having this nagging feeling I know her. And you as well. And Big Macintosh."

"Really?" Applejack was both surprised and intrigued. "What does she look like?"

"Brown coat, white mane… pretty normal, actually. Well, except for her cutie mark. I've never seen anything like it before. Three golden triangles put together…"

Applejack frowned. "That doesn't sound like anypony I know. Yer absolutely sure we know her?"

"Did ya listen to me at all? I just said I'm not sure!"

"Okay, okay, I got it. You wanna take a look at the old family album? Maybe she's in there somewhere."

"Not today," Granny yawned. "I'm getting a bit tired. I think I'll be taking a nap. You make sure Apple Bloom doesn't come home too late, will you?"

"Sure, Granny," the younger mare nodded. "Have a nice sleep."

Granny Smith's tale of the pony stranger had made Applejack unusually curious. If it wasn't for her remaining chores of the day, she would have started to do some research on the mare right away.

But that could wait. She could still take a look at the family album later. And maybe Twilight with her bookworm tactics could help her. And if Pinkie was planning a party for the newcomers (and knowing Pinkie, she would), Applejack would always be able to speak to the stranger herself at the party.

Maybe Granny was right. Maybe there was nothing to worry about. Maybe the mare was just a stranger neither of them had seen before. Maybe she just mistook her for another pony. There were a lot of brown ponies in the Apple family. And that weird triangle cutie mark? Nah, there was no way she would forget a cutie mark as strange as that.

It's not like meeting that pony would change everything in Applejack's life. Surely not…


	6. Meeting an Old Friend

Let me tell you something about my friends.

I'm not talking about my Hyrule friends, such as Link, Malon or… Navi. No, I'm talking about my Ponyville friends.

I didn't marry my husband right away after moving here from Manehattan. All I knew was that I wanted to get away from my parents' controlling manners: The way they always looked over my shoulder, the way they wanted me to inherit their family business and the way they dictated every little aspect of my life.

I hated it. And that's why I decided to move away as soon as I was of age. I gathered my belongings, met my beloved at the train station and together, we took the next train to Ponyville. And as soon as I arrived, I fell in love. With the town, I mean. Everypony was so friendly and there was much less noise, stench, hectic or stress. Of course I had to work hard to earn a living. Sure my darling offered me to live at the farm right away, but I wanted to show everypony that I would be able to stand on my own four hooves.

During my time in Ponyville, I met several ponies that would become my friends. Cup Cake, the baker's daughter. Pearl Belle, the jeweler-in-training. And Maybell Mare, the mayor's receptionist. Over the years, the four of us became inseparable. When I finally married my darling, they all volunteered to be my bridesmaids. Cup Cake, or Cuppy as we affectionally called her, was my best friend. We shared everything: The home-made pies and cakes we baked, the newest gossip in town and even the bits we earned.

Apart from my family, meeting her was the one thing I was most nervous about. I was very glad when I didn't run into her on the street, so I felt very relieved when I followed my daughter and her little friends into the strange, gingerbread house-shaped building.

I took a look around. There were yummy treats and tasty morsels everywhere. The sweet scent made my mouth water. Together, we approached the empty counter.

"Just you wait, Miss Romani," Apple Bloom said with excitement. "Sugarcube Corner has the most delicious cupcakes EVER!" She then turned towards the counter and shouted: "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cake? Are you there? We're here for our daily dose of cupcakes!"

"We're in the back. Just a moment, dear," somepony shouted back.

I recognized her as soon as she entered the room. Sure, she had a new hairstyle and apparently gained a few pounds over the years, but it was obviously my dear old friend Cuppy. Taken completely by surprise, I froze in my tracks.

"Hello there again, girls," she greeted the fillies in that warm, welcoming tone of hers. "You really like my cupcakes so much that you have to come here every day?"

"You betcha!" Scootaloo grinned. "But this time around, we brought a guest."

"How nice of you," she smiled as she turned her head. "Welcome to Sugarcube Corners, how may I…?" She stopped herself when she saw me. Her eyes widened and she stuttered: "E-epona?"

Apple Bloom looked up at me with a frown, then back to Cuppy. "Epona? Nah, that's our new friend Miss Romani. She's new in town."

I quickly gathered myself and said: "Y-yeah, I'm just a tourist, passing through lovely Ponyville. And my name's Romani. Um, nice to meet you, Miss…"

"It's Mrs." she said. "Mrs. Cup Cake." I noticed her eyes were wandering towards my cutie mark. Sweatdrops were forming on my face. 'Don't let her recognize me, don't let her recognize me…' I pleaded to whatever gods were listening.

"Can we all have some of those delicious carrot cupcakes from last time?" Sweetie Belle asked. "They were the best."

"Oh, of course… my husband is making some at the moment. You know what, girls?" She smiled down at them. "Why don't you three go to the back and Mr. Cake can show you how it is done."

"Really? We can?" Scootaloo gasped.

"Sure you can. And I'm going to entertain your new friend while you're gone," Cuppy said.

"Cool! Maybe we can get our cutie marks in making cupcakes!" Sweetie Belle squeaked with excitement.

"I already tried that…" Apple Bloom sighed. "But… last time it was Pinkie who showed me. Maybe Mr. Cake can show me something new. And maybe this time it really works."

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS CUPCAKE BAKERS!" they shouted as they ran through the door. I would have gushed at the cuteness of it, if it wasn't for the predicament I was in.

As soon as the fillies left the room, my pudgy friend closed the door behind them. With a stern expression, she came around the corner and stood in front of me. "All right, Epona. You can cut the act."

Nervously, I swallowed. "I d-don't know what you're talking about…"

"Apple Bloom was still a baby when you left, so it's no surprise she didn't recognize you. But did you honestly think you could trick me, your oldest friend?" She smirked at me and I sighed. She was right. If there was a pony that knew me better than my own family, it was her.

"All right… you're right, it's me," I muttered. "But please, please don't tell Apple Bloom!"

"Well, that depends on what I'm going to hear," she said. "But first of all…" With no warning, she scooped me up in a massive hug. "Epona!" she squealed. She did her best not to alert anypony in the next room, though. "It's you… it's really you! Oh my gosh… what happened to you? Where were you? We all thought you were DEAD!"

I found myself smiling at her excitement and returned the hug. I realized just how much I missed her. "It's a long story," I whispered. "And I'm not entirely sure what happened. Let's just say I was… somewhere else."

"But you're back!" Cuppy let go of me, looked me directly into the eyes, grinned and hugged me back to her chest. "You're really back… and… what DID you do to your cutie mark?"

I looked back at my flank. "Oh, that? I just thought it was time to try something new…"

"Don't give me that! I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I wasn't born yesterday either. I know you can't just change a cutie mark like that. So what happened to that little fruit bowl of yours?"

"Honestly, I don't know. This new mark appeared as soon as I turned back into a pony."

"Turned back into a pony? Dear, you just HAVE to tell me the whole story… but not now. Apple Bloom and her friends are next door. Say, when are you going to tell her?" Cuppy asked.

"I… I'm not sure I actually want to tell her…" I quietly said. "I mean, I was unable to be a good mother for her the past ten years… I'm not sure she'd even want me…"

"Nonsense! She'd be overjoyed to have you! And have you thought about the other kids? What about Big Mac? What about APPLEJACK? The poor thing was distraught when we… well… we put up your gravestones…"

I blinked. "You actually put up gravestones for me and him?"

"Well, we never found your bodies… but what were we supposed to think? The two of you were HIT BY A METEOR!"

"Not so loud!" I hissed. Fortunately, the three fillies chose that exact moment to cheer something in the next room, so it was unlikely they heard us. "Apparently, we weren't. Or else I wouldn't be able to stand here right now. But I really can't remember what exactly happened…"

"Tell me later… come back when the fillies aren't around anymore. But, you'll have to tell me EVERYTHING! You got that? I'm your best friend, I DESERVE to know the truth."

"Okay, okay. I promise, I will tell you everything I know." I took a deep breath. "So…" I looked around. "Sugarcube Corner, huh?"

"Oh, yeah," she giggled. "Carrot came up with the name. But I chose the design. Looks a bit silly, but the ponies love it."

"So you finally married Carrot?" I smirked. "Took him long enough to ask you. How often did you two date, four times a week?"

"He was so shy and awkward," Cuppy laughed. "It was just too cute, honestly. But yes, in the end he did ask me."

"And children?" I held my breath.

She smiled. "Two. A filly and a colt. Twins… born just a couple of months ago. We had a baby shower and everything."

"Eeeek!" I gushed as quietly as I could. "I wanna see them… next time, that is. I'm soooo sorry I was unable to attend but, you know… I was kind of dead."

"All right… so… about Applejack…"

I sighed. "You're not going to drop this, are you?"

"Epona, she deserves to know. They deserve to have a mother who lives. Do you have an idea how much AJ pushed herself after she took over the farm? She worked herself to the bone, took care of all the apple trees, the other fruit, the animals and the whole management. The others are helping, of course. But Apple Bloom is still too young and Granny Smith is getting quite old, to be honest. And even when Big Mac offered Applejack to do half of the chores, she refused. She seriously wanted to prove to everypony that she'd be able to take care of the farm as good as her father."

"Stubborn little filly…" I couldn't resist a chuckle. "So much like her Dad… but what do you expect me to do? From what you're saying, she obviously has everything under control. And I saw the farm. Everything looked to be in order."

"Talk to her," Cuppy said as she put a hoof on my shoulder. "Let them know that at least one of their parents is still alive."

"But I don't know what to say, Cuppy!" I groaned. "It's been ten years and I… I'm not who I was anymore." I looked at my cutie mark. "Do you see it? I'm not a farmpony anymore… I'm an adventurer… I spent an entire new life in another world, with other people. How can everything return to normal just like that?"

I'm sure she noticed that I said 'people' instead of 'ponies'. I could tell there had to be hundreds of questions on her mind. But she didn't ask me anything. Instead, she patted my head and said: "Tell them, honey. It's for your own good, too. They are your children. You can't tell me you haven't missed them. I know you too well."

I knew she was right. That made it even harder for me. I started to sob. Why did all of this had to happen? Why to me and not to anypony else? Why was I brought to Hyrule and transformed, adapted to a new life? Did someone choose me to become the Hero of Time's noble steed? Why me? What was so special about me?

"I wish… I wish that meteor had actually crushed me…" I whispered.

Cup Cake grabbed my head and forced me to look into her eyes. "Don't say that!" she said firmly. "Don't ever say anything like that again, you hear me? You've been given a new CHANCE, don't you see? A chance to see your home again, your family, your friends…" For the third time this afternoon, she hugged me. "I've missed you so much…"

"I know," I muttered. "I'm sorry. I missed you too." And for a while, we just stood there, forelegs wrapped around each others necks.

And then Sugarcube Corner exploded. At least, that's what it felt like.

"RED ALERT! We have a party emergency! Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake… Man the ovens! Prepare the party cannons! There's a NEW PONY IN TOWN!"

I was ready to jump to the ceiling when this obviously crazy, obnoxiously loud pony came barging in through the front door, bouncing all over the place and leaving balloons, confetti and streamers in her wake.

Cuppy chuckled. "Epona? Meet Pinkie Pie."

* * *

Slightly confused, Link followed Rarity through town, until they reached a very clean-looking building. But nothing he saw showed him what kind of place this was.

As they approached the entrance, he said: "Um… Rarity? I'm sorry, but what exactly is a… a spa?"

"You are joking, right? Why, a spa is only the most delightful and relaxing spot you could ever find. Here, a customer can find everything that refreshes your body and spirit, from massages and warm water treatments to mud baths and hooficures."

"Aha," Link said, not really understanding everything. "So… this is a public bath?"

"Oh, you'll see," Rarity smiled as she opened the door. "Trust me, you'll love it."

They entered a small foyer of sorts. Behind the counter, a blue earth pony mare with a white headband welcomed them with a smile. "Miss Rarity! Thank you for visiting us again. The usual, I presume?"

"You know me too well," Rarity smirked. "And a full treatment for my friend Link, if you please."

When the mare looked at Link, something strange happened. Her whole body seemed to be getting tense and her eyes darted around as if something had alarmed her. But as soon as Link noticed, her pose immediately relaxed again. "But of course," she said in the most polite voice. "Mr. Link was it? Welcome to the spa! My name is Aloe and I am here to make sure you feel relaxed. Why don't you go ahead to the massage room? My sister and I will be with you soon, our assistants will make sure to meet your wishes."

"See? I told you they have the best customer service here," Rarity said. "Follow me, I know my way around this place. I've been here countless times."

Unsure what to expect, Link decided to follow Rarity. Aloe's eyes followed them as they went into the next room.

As soon as the door closed behind them, she ran into the back office, where her sister Lotus was taking care of some paperwork.

"Did I just hear the melodic voice of Miss Rarity?" Lotus smiled as she looked up at her sister. "I guess we should prepare her bath now, then."

"Forget about her!" Aloe whispered. "And speak quietly. You won't believe who just entered our spa…"

Lotus seemed confused. "Oh? Is it some sort of celebrity? A well-known businessmare or a Canterlot noble in vacation, perhaps? That would certainly help our business…"

"Would you stop that and listen? I'm talking about HIM!" Aloe hissed.

Lotus blinked. "Him?"

Aloe nodded and formed a triangle with her hooves. "Him."

Her sister's eyes widened as she understood. "Oh. HIM!"

Again, Aloe nodded. "What do we do? In a hundred years I didn't expect him to show up here, of all places."

Lotus' eyes narrowed. "We contact the master, of course. He must be informed about this."

"Of course." Together, they went to a mirror hanging on one side of the office. Aloe quickly pressed its frame, and the mirror slid sidewards, revealing a dark staircase leading down. The twins went downstairs, into a gloomy chamber that was only dimly lit with a couple of candelabras. In the middle, there was a strange pool, filled with what looked like liquid darkness. The two ponies took places on both sides of the pool. Using their forelegs, they performed a couple of complicated gestures in the air and chanted something in a strange tongue. In the end, a dark purple flame came shooting out of the pool. In its middle, a shadow appeared. A shadow in the form of a horse with glowing red eyes.

The twins bowed down in front of the shadow. _"Rise!"_ a deep, echoing voice spoke, and they obeyed.

"Forgive us, my lord," Aloe said. "But we have dire news. I don't know how it happened, but… somehow… the Hero of Time managed to find us!"

The shadow horse nodded. _"Yes, I know."_

That answer surprised the two ponies. "You… you know?" Lotus asked.

The shadow's ghastly laugh filled the room. _"Of course I know. I knew he would come to this world at some point. Everything is going according to plan. I've been waiting for this moment for years."_

A shimmer of hope and excitement appeared in Aloe's eyes. "Does that mean… we will finally get our revenge?"

"_Yes. That and much more. Now listen carefully: Your first task will be to take the Hero of Time prisoner. Do you understand? Do not harm him unless I say so! Afterwards, you shall do everything in your power to find his companions. I know he couldn't have come here alone."_

"As you wish, master. But what should we do if someone sees what we are doing?" Aloe asked.

"We built up this cover for years," Lotus said. "It would be unwise to reveal ourselves. All our plans will be crushed if the monarchs of the land find out about us."

"_They will not find out. If anyone sees you, eliminate them! Let there be no witnesses!"_ Having said that, the shadow horse disappeared and the dark flame swirled back down into the depths of the pool.

The sisters looked at each other. "Did you hear that?" Lotus asked.

Aloe nodded. "I did. Poor Miss Rarity… I really enjoyed serving her. But it looks like this will be her last treatment at our spa. The chamber?"

"Yes, the chamber."

Link sighed contently as the assistant's hooves rhythmically pounded on his back. He had no idea how this worked, but up to now, this whole treatment had felt heavenly. "This is great… thank you so much for inviting me, Rarity."

The unicorn smiled. "Please, it's the least I could do for a pony with such exquisite taste."

With the most cheerful expressions on their faces, the spa twins entered the massage room. "I hope everything was to your satisfaction, dear customers," Lotus said.

"But of course," Rarity said. "As usual, your services are delightful."

"Yes, I never felt this good in my whole life," Link grinned. "They should definitely open a spa in Hyr… where I'm from."

"Oh, it is only getting better," Aloe said. "After the massage, we invite you to come to the next room and we will show you the newest addition to our spa: An sauna that will refreshen your body and spirit. Please, it's this way."

After the masseur finished, Link and Rarity followed the twins in a spacious room with wooden, paneled walls. "Please, make yourselves comfortable while we prepare everything," Aloe said. As Link and Rarity sat down, the twins left and closed the door behind them.

Aloe turned the key, locking the door. "Everything ready?"

"Yes," Lotus nodded. "Minion, activate the bellows!"

The assistant's body shimmered momentarily as he opened his eyes, revealing an emotionless expression. With a slow nod, he turned around and did as he was told.

"Didn't I tell you?" Rarity asked Link. "This place is worth every single bit. I am very glad my store brings up enough money to afford this, I don't know how I would live through the week without my regular treatment."

"I'm sure Epona would enjoy it, too," Link said.

"Oh, you have a marefriend, Mr. Link?" Rarity grinned.

Link blushed. "Ah, she's just a friend. But she…" He then took a sniff. "Say… do you smell something weird?"

"Now that you mention it… these strange, green fumes can't be good for my complexion. Hello? Aloe? Lotus? Is everything okay?"

The twins' faces appeared in the small window in the room's only door. "Oh, it's more than okay," Lotus smiled. "Please try to relax, Miss Rarity. You will soon fall into a deep sleep."

Aloe nodded. "Yes, a very deep sleep. And you as well, Mr. Link. But unlike you, Miss Rarity will not wake up from hers."

"What are you talking about?" Link shouted. "Let us out!" He ran to the door and tried to open it. "It's locked."

Rarity coughed. "Goodness, that… that's gas, isn't it? I don't understand… why would you do this, girls? This isn't like you at all, you were always such good friends…"

"Seems like you never really knew the real us, Miss Rarity," Aloe said. "And if it makes you more comfortable: Know that we wish we didn't have to do this to you. You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. But we can't allow our HERO to run around Equestria and meddle in our affairs."

"What… what affairs?" Link moaned. Like Rarity, he was gasping for air. "How do you know me? Who are you?"

Aloe grinned. "Oh, I knew you wouldn't recognize us, Hero of Time. It has been a long time and my sister and I have changed even more than you did. Maybe you even forgot about us."

"But we never forgot!" Lotus shouted. "We never forgave you either! You broke into our sanctuary, stole our servant, killed our old bodies and, the worst crime of them all: You murdered the King of Evil!"

Link was unable to stand upright anymore. The toxic fumes were filling his nostrils, making him more and more dizzy. As he turned around, he saw that Rarity had already lost consciousness. "Wh-what? Who are you?"

"He still doesn't recognize us, sister," Aloe laughed. "But maybe this will jog his memory…" And on both of their headbands, a glowing gemstone appeared. Fiery red on Aloe's forehead and icy blue on Lotus'.

Link gasped as he slowly slid down. Just before his senses faded, he finally realized the true identities of the two ponies behind the door. "T-twinrova…" he muttered, then his head dropped motionless to the floor.


	7. Mother and Daughter

Navi took a sip of tea from the thimble Fluttershy had offered her. Gratefully, she looked up at her. "Thank you for the tea, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy smiled. "You're welcome. Now, what were you saying about your friend?"

Navi sighed. "I let her down. I let both of them down. We accomplished so many things together. We were a team… no, more than that. We could always count on each other. And even though it was Link who did most of the fighting and puzzle-solving, he always reminded us that what we did was just as important. Both he and Epona were the first true friends I had. Before we traveled together, I was always the lonely fairy without a partner. I felt tiny and unimportant. At their side, I had a purpose. I felt… needed." For a moment, the fairy's eyes lit up with joy, but then she looked down again. "And then I had to go and disappoint them."

"I'm sure you must have had a good reason," Fluttershy said.

"I had! I mean… that's what I kept telling myself. The truth is, I was afraid. After our journey was finished… I saw that the hero had saved the day. And now that the deed was done, what was his fairy companion supposed to do? Link had grown into a skilled swordsman and Epona was a strong and powerful steed. But me? I was just a little fairy… I served my purpose… and I felt as weak and helpless again as I did before. So… I did the only thing that seemed appropriate: I went back into the forest and let them live their lives."

Navi took another sip of tea after she finished her tale. For a moment, the inside of Fluttershy's cottage was silent, except for the sounds of rapid carrot-munching coming from Angel Bunny.

"You know," Fluttershy then spoke up. "You remind me a lot of myself. Like you, I am also often afraid that there's not a lot I can do. My friends are strong, brave, smart, funny and creative. What do I have? I live in a cottage near the forest and I'm so shy that I prefer the company of animals. And that's what I kept telling myself and them."

"Were they upset with you?" Navi asked.

Fluttershy chuckled. "Oh yes. Very upset. Especially Rainbow Dash. She insisted that every pony was different from another. And while I was unable to fly as fast as her and wasn't as brave as her, I had a different kind of strength. One that I had to discover myself. But the most important thing I discovered was that it didn't matter if the people don't know your strengths. Not as long as you have friends that do."

Navi sighed. "You must have nice friends. Maybe Epona can forgive me for what I did."

"Oh, I'm sure she will. She's your friend. Give it some time and everything will turn out okay."

"I think you're right… I shouldn't be so pessimistic. I guess I should go and look for them now, huh? I just wish I knew where they went… I don't really know my way around Ponyville."

"Let's go together then." Fluttershy finished the rest of her tea and put away the pot and cups. "I can show you all of Ponyville. And if your friends are there somewhere, I'm sure we will run into them."

Navi smiled. It was very hard to stay depressed in the presence of the kind-hearted pegasus. She sat down on Fluttershy's head, Angel Bunny hopped on her back and together, they left for Ponyville.

* * *

"Why hello there! My name is Pinkie Pie and I've never seen you before. Which means you must be one of the new ponies in town that I'm planning this party for. I sure didn't expect you to be here at Sugarcube Corner, but that's actually not so bad. Now you can tell me what kind of cake you prefer. Is it vanilla or chocolate? I've always liked chocolate, but vanilla can also be very good, especially with lots and lots of frosting. Oh, and do you want pink or yellow balloons? I have lots of pink ones, but not everypony likes them, so I have some extra. I mean, it would be very weird for me not to like pink, it's my own color. It's even in my name, how funny is that? Hahahaha! Hey, you know Applejack? You look a lot like her. At least your eyes do. What's your name, anyway?"

Let me tell you, I've never heard anyone in either world I lived in talk this fast before. The pink pony said all of this without taking a breath, all the while she stood uncomfortably close to me. "I'm Epo… Romani!" I quickly said. Her behavior irritated me so much that I nearly told her my real name.

"Nice to meet you then, Eporomani," Pinkie said. "I'm very sorry I didn't have the time to put up the party yet, but you're not leaving Ponyville anytime soon, are you? Because then I would have to make this a welcoming party as well as a farewell party."

Cuppy chuckled. "Pinkie, why don't you go and prepare that cake? Make that a chocolate cake, we have loads of extra chocolate from last week in the pantry. Also, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are in the back, maybe they can help you as well?"

"That's a great idea. You like chocolate, don't you, Eporomani?" I nodded dumbfoundedly and Pinkie grinned. "Great. See you later then." And she bounced out of the room.

"That was… strange," I muttered.

"Oh, you get used to it after living with Pinkie for some time," Cuppy laughed. "She's our assistant baker and salespony and has a room upstairs. She's one of Applejack's closest friends, you know?"

"This pony and Applejack?" I was surprised. Her hyper and over-the-top behavior didn't seem to fit the calmer and laid-back attitude I remember from my daughter. My mothering instincts kicked in without me realizing it. "Who are her parents?"

"Oh, she's not from around here. Her family owns a rock farm a short train ride away from Ponyville."

"Rock farmers?" I grew more confused by the second. That seemed to fit even less. The only rock farmers I met in my life had a very stoic and old-fashioned mannerism.

"I know Pinkie can be difficult at times, but given some time, you'll grow to like her. Everypony in Ponyville likes her."

"I'm not even sure I'll stay that long…" I muttered.

Cuppy looked at me with surprise and disappointment. "You… want to leave? But you just came back… and right now, I'm the only one who knows. Don't you want to stay? Don't you want to find out more about how much Ponyville has changed?"

"Cuppy, listen…" I sighed. "I'm not sure it was a good idea to come back in the first place. The longer I'm here, the more I see how much everything has changed. It's not the Ponyville I remember. This isn't my home anymore. I have a place in Hyrule… that's where I belong."

"Please, Epona… don't make a mistake. The little filly over there…" Cuppy pointed to the next room, which was filled with the giggles of Pinkie and the CMC. "You gave birth to her, yet you don't even know her. You have a chance to change that. Don't throw that chance away… don't throw away her chance to get to know you, either."

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I should go. Please don't tell anypony about me… tell Carrot if you must, but nopony else. I'll go find my friends and go back to Hyrule." I gave her a farewell hug and walked towards the exit.

"Epona… please don't go…" Cuppy said.

I looked back at her with a sad smile. "It was nice to see you again. Take care of your family. And say hi to your children from me… At least they have a mother their whole life long."

And that's when I wanted to leave. But before I reached the door, a rainbow-colored blur came dashing in and nearly ran me over. "Sorry, sorry!" a panicking voice shouted. I turned my head and saw a young pegasus mare with a very unusual, rainbow-colored mane. "Pinkie!" she shouted. "Are you there? Come on, something happened to Rarity!"

"What, what? What's going on?" Pinkie asked as she came over from the other room. Apple Bloom and the other two fillies were right behind her.

"What's wrong with my sister?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I… I dunno!" the rainbow mare said. "I was taking my afternoon nap on a cloud just above the spa and saw her walk in, followed by that stallion with the strange green cap and the sword…"

"Oh, were you spying on Rarity while she had a date?" Pinkie giggled.

"A sword?" Scootaloo asked. "That sounds so cool."

A sword? A green cap? That sounded familiar.

"Yer really worried that Rarity went to the spa with a stallion, Rainbow Dash?" Apple Bloom asked. "That sounds pretty normal to me."

"Yeah, but it's been hours and they never came back out. Usually, when I see Rarity enter the spa, she comes back out one hour later at most."

"Aren't you worrying too much?" Pinkie asked. "Maybe she joined Aloe and Lotus for a cup of tea. That reminds me, I should buy some more tea bags for the party."

"But Rarity said she wanted to join me and Mom and Dad for dinner this evening," Sweetie Belle said. "And she's never late for dinner. She always says it's unbecoming for a lady to be late for a meal. Ohmygosh! Maybe she IS in trouble!"

I turned around. "Where is this… spa?" I asked.

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash looked at me. "Who are you?"

"That's Eporomani," Pinkie said. "I'm preparing a welcoming party for her and another new pony in town. Hmmm, you don't think that other stallion that is with Rarity is the other new pony, do you?"

"If he has a sword and a green hat, it's him," I said. "Now, where is the spa?"

"Come on, I'll show you," Rainbow said as she dashed outside. "Pinkie Pie, hurry."

"Right behind you, Dashie," Pinkie shouted as she bounced after her.

The three fillies wanted to run after them as well, but I stopped them with my hoof. "You better stay here, girls."

"What? No way! I wanna see Rainbow Dash in action," Scootaloo protested.

"And I want to help my sister," Sweetie Belle pleaded.

"Can't we come, too? Please?" Apple Bloom asked.

I looked down at her. This was my little daughter. And I couldn't allow her to put herself in danger. So I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but no. Be good fillies and stay here with Mrs. Cake."

"Ya can't tell us what to do," Apple Bloom frowned. "Yer not my mother."

Those words stung more than anything else, but I stayed firm. "Please, listen to me. I have a very bad feeling about this."

Cuppy walked up to the fillies and said: "Don't worry, I'll make sure they get home."

I looked at her gratefully. "Thank you." And then I ran after Pinkie and Rainbow.

* * *

While Fluttershy, Angel and Navi were on the path to Ponyville, they met up with a certain, hat-wearing orange mare who just came from Sweet Apple Acres.

"Applejack!" Fluttershy smiled. "Are you on your way to town as well?"

"Howdy, Fluttershy," Applejack nodded. "And as my big brother would say: Eeyup! I was looking at Granny's old family album when I noticed I still had that book about the history of Equestrian Apple Farming Twilight gave to me last week. So I thought I'd return it to her." She then noticed Navi. "Say, who's yer lil friend? Another one of them Breezies?"

"This is Navi, a fairy," Fluttershy explained. "I'm going to show her Ponyville and then we're going to look for her friends. Navi, this is Applejack, one of my friends I told you about."

"Hello, Miss Applejack," Navi said politely.

Applejack grinned. "No need for the 'Miss'. Any friend of Fluttershy's is a friend of mine." She then thought of something. "Say… one of your friends doesn't happen to have a golden triangle cutie mark, does she?"

"Why yes, she does," Navi said in surprise. "Do you know Epona?" She then slapped her hands over her mouth. 'Oh no,' she thought. 'I forgot I wasn't supposed to tell anyone Epona's real name.'

A deep frown appeared on Applejack's face as she was pondering. "Epona… Epona… For Celestia's sake, why does that name sound so familiar? I know I heard it somewhere before."

"Navi said this was the first time she and her friends were in Ponyville," Fluttershy said. "Maybe it's another pony with the same name."

"Possible," Applejack shrugged. Navi didn't dare to say another peep. She just hoped Epona wouldn't be too upset with her… or more upset than she already was.

Together, they entered town. "So, this is Ponyville," Fluttershy said. "We have Twilight's library over there, the post office, the quills and sofas store, the spa… EEP!" She ducked when a polychromatic pegasus came flying her way.

"OUT OF THE WAY!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she tried to stop her momentum in mid-air. Only her long years of flight training allowed her to prevent crashing into Fluttershy. But then, Pinkie Pie came slamming into Rainbow's backside, the multi-colored speedster was thrown into Fluttershy, and the three ponies, along with Angel and Navi, collapsed in a heap of tangled bodies and limbs.

"Whoooooo…" Pinkie said. "Anypony got the number of that pegasus?"

"Fluttershy? Get your wing out of my face," Rainbow grumbled.

"S-sorry…" Fluttershy muttered,

Navi could only gasp for air. A rabbit was sitting on her.

Applejack went to help untangle her friends. "Now where in the hay are you two going in such a hurry?"

"Th-the s-spa…" Pinkie stuttered. There were still little Fluttershys circling her head.

"Are you okay?" Another pony came to a stop in front of them. "I heard a crash…" It was a brown pony with a white mane and a golden triangle cutie mark. When she saw Applejack, she let out a gasp.

"We're fine, thanks," Rainbow Dash said. "Not the first crash in my career…"

Applejack looked towards the new pony. "You must be Epona, right? Pleased to… wait a sec… Epona… Epona…"

"H-how do you know my name?" the pony stuttered. "Dammit, Navi! You told them, didn't you?"

"Someone… lift… the rabbit…" Navi gasped.

Applejack slowly approached the pony. The way she looked. The way she was looking at her. The way she spoke. All of this awoke something in her… memories from a time long ago…

* * *

"Mommy! Mommy, look at my hat! Look at my hat!"

The little filly's mother giggled when she saw the oversized hat on her daughter's head. "It's a bit big, don't you think, darling?"

Her husband smiled. "She'll grow into it. As long as she likes it. You like yer new hat, don't you, little appleseed?"

"I love it, Daddy!" little Applejack squealed. Laughing, her mother picked her up from the ground and her father gave them both a big hug.

* * *

Applejack continued to stare at the mare in front of her. After a while, Pinkie Pie started waving her hoof in front of her friend's face. "Yoohoo! Equestria to Applejack! You still there?"

"What's the matter with you, girl?" Rainbow asked.

Applejack just pushed Pinkie's hoof to the side and approached the white-maned mare. "It can't be…" she muttered. "It just can't… y'all died! Both of you!"

The mare let out a deep sigh. "I was hoping to avoid this… but I guess there's no way around it." She forced herself to smile. "Hello, Applejack. You've grown so much since I last saw you…"

Small tears appeared in the corners of Applejack's eyes. Then she ran ahead and grabbed the white-maned pony that was her mother in a massive hug. "Mom…" she cried. "Mom…"

Her friends could only watch in surprise as they saw their otherwise so strong and stubborn friend break down in tears. This was a side of her they had never witnessed before.

Epona softly stroked her daughter's back. She, too, couldn't hold her tears back any longer. "Ssshhh. It's okay. Your mother is here, honey. Your mother is here."


	8. Breaking Bones

"MOTHER?" Rainbow gasped. "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute… what's going on here? Didn't she tell us her mother was… well… dead?" She looked over to her friends, who were just as confused as she was, I could tell.

"M-mom?" Applejack tried to get a hold of herself. "It… it IS you, isn't it? I mean, this ain't just some sort of setup to trick me, right? Yer no changeling… or magic illusion or…"

"Applejack!" I firmly grasped my daughter's hooves. "Look at me. I am here, really. This is no trick. And I wasn't dead, not really. I was just… gone. But now I'm back and I'm standing here, right in front of you. I can't really tell you the how and why, but… it's me! Really!"

"Y… you're back? Honestly? And you… you'll stay, right? You're not gonna die or disappear or whatever again and leave me alone like ya did before… right?" She looked at me through shimmering eyes.

I saw so much in these eyes at the moment. I saw happiness, confusion, hope, years of suppressed pain that was coming to the surface. But I also saw fear… fear that this happiness would suddenly disappear again. I knew Applejack was a strong pony, she always had been, even when she was a filly. But I had no idea if she could live through that despair another time.

That was the reason why I didn't want to tell her I was here. I didn't want her to feel the same pain again, the pain she felt when she lost me. But now I was here, in front of her. And she saw me.

And I couldn't possibly abandon her ever again.

So I smiled. "Don't worry, Applejack. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying… I'm staying right here, with you."

"Oh Mom…" she sniffled again. I saw how much she tried to fight the tears this time. She didn't want to show her friends the softer, more vulnerable Applejack. But in the end, she succumbed to her feelings and she hugged me once again. "I'm so glad yer back."

"Awwww, that's sooo sweet…" the yellow pegasus (whose name I still didn't catch) gushed. Next to her, fountains of tears were streaming out of Pinkie's eyes at the sweet scene in front of her. Even Rainbow Dash, who I had assessed as a tough, tomboy kind of girl, quickly wiped something out of her eyes.

"J-just something in my eye…" she mumbled.

"What in Equestria is going on here?" I turned my head at this sudden, new voice. Which was a bit difficult with my daughter hanging from my neck.

Everypony must have heard the sound of my eyes popping out of their sockets. I couldn't even gasp in surprise. I just stared at the purple pony with the star cutie mark. And the horn. And the wings.

I was looking at an alicorn. How could there be an alicorn? There was only one alicorn in all of Equestria. And Princess Celestia wasn't a pony you could just run into in the middle of a street on a perfectly normal day. But this was no costume either. This was a real alicorn.

"Applejack?" I said.

Applejack looked up at me. "Yeah, Mom?"

I pointed my hoof across the street. "There's an alicorn standing there. Why is there an alicorn standing there?"

"What?" She looked around and then smiled. "Oh, that's just Twilight. She's one of my closest friends."

I blinked. "You are friends… with an alicorn."

She nodded. "Sure am. Come, lemme introduce you to her. In fact, lemme introduce you to all my friends." With the biggest grin, she looked at the assembled ponies. "Girls? I want y'all to meet my Mom… Epona Apple! And Mom, these are Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle." One after another, she pointed at the two pegasi, the pink bouncing earth pony and the alicorn.

"Very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Apple," Fluttershy smiled.

"Hello there!" Pinkie waved.

"Pinkie, we already met her," Rainbow sighed.

"Oh yeah," Pinkie giggled.

For the whole time, the alicorn Applejack just introduced to me as Twilight just stood there, looking at me. Now she was tilting her head. "Your… mother? Applejack, that seems pretty… implausible."

I saw how my daughter gave the alicorn a disgruntled look. "Whaddya mean, implausible? Don't gimme implausible, Twi. This is my mother. Why wouldn't she be?"

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but your mother is, well… dead. Have you considered she might be a doppelganger or worse, a changeling?" I wanted to feel annoyed at the alicorn, but I could understand her skepticism. On top of that, she was an alicorn. You wouldn't disagree with an alicorn.

As it turned out, my daughter did not agree with me on that point. She shouted: "You stop there right now, Twilight! Do ya think I wouldn't recognize my own mother? She acts the same, she talks the same and she looks the same! Well, except for her cutie mark, but... that's not important!"

"Applejack…" Twilight hesitated a bit, carefully choosing her next words. "But that is exactly what a changeling does. They try their best to imitate the person they turn into. And you said it yourself, her cutie mark isn't the same. So it could very well be a changeling that made a mistake with the transformation. If you could just let me do a magic scan of her aura, then we can tell for sure…"

"Not happening, Twi," Applejack shouted. "You keep yer magic away from my Mom, you hear? She's my mother and that's final!" There it was again, that Apple stubbornness I knew so well from her and her father. With a sigh, I removed myself from Applejack's hug and reassuringly patted her backside. "It's all right, honey. She can do her scan if she thinks it's important."

"But it's not!" Applejack protested. "She shouldn't need to prove that you're a changeling. I can tell either way."

"I know that. But let's just do it to reassure your friends, okay?"

Applejack didn't seem to like that idea at all, but she didn't protest anymore either. I slowly walked up to her alicorn friend. I was a bit unsure how to act. Was I supposed to bow down? The only alicorn that was supposed to exist was our one and only ruler, Princess Celestia. This couldn't be her daughter, right? To be on the safe side, I gave her a small bow.

She seemed a bit uncomfortable at the gesture. "No need for that," she said. "I may be a princess, but I'm also just a normal citizen of Ponyville, like everypony else." So I was right. She was a princess, even though a humble one. So many questions were going through my head. Did Celestia marry? Did we suddenly have a king?

I raised my head. "Do what you have to do, your Highness. I am willing to prove that I have no evil intent. I was an honest citizen of Equestria once, and I plan on becoming one, once again." I smiled at Applejack, and she quickly put her hat in front of her face, to hide another incoming surge of emotions.

She nodded. "Then please hold still for a moment. This won't hurt at all." She brought her horn close to my body and let it shine in a sparkling aura. For a moment, my whole body was glowing in the same color and I felt a slight tingle.

"This is odd…" Twilight muttered. "I feel a strange magical energy within your body. But… I can tell it's not your own. There is no evil or dark magic anywhere in you."

"I told you so!" Applejack said. "I told you this was my Mom."

"It seems so. She is definitely a regular earth pony, even though I can't quite place that unusual magic within her… doesn't feel like anything I felt before." She dropped her spell and gave me a welcoming smile. "Either way, I am glad you are the pony my friend Applejack claimed you to be. I am very honored to finally make your acquaintance, Mrs. Apple. On behalf of the Equestrian throne, I welcome you back in Equestria."

"Thank you. I am very glad to be back," I smiled. Then I ran back to give my daughter another hug, while her friends were cheering at us.

That is, until Rainbow Dash stopped everypony's cheering with a cough. "Sorry to interrupt, but… I almost forgot we still got a problem at hoof. The spa? Rarity? Your friend?"

"What are you talking about, Rainbow?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, that's right!" Pinkie gasped. "Rarity and Miss Eporomani-Applejack-Mom's friend went into the spa and never came out. Hours ago!"

I scolded myself for forgetting that for a moment. The reunion with my daughter almost made me forget about Link. "She's right… from the description she gave me, my companion Link was with her."

"Link's in trouble?" Navi gasped. I also almost forgot she was still there. "We need to help him."

"The spa?" Twilight asked in confusion. "Why would the spa mean trouble? You guys are worrying too much. They probably lost track of time or something. This is Rarity we are talking about. You know how she is at the spa."

"Yes, but we are also talking about Link," I said. "No offense, your Highness… but Link is a very dependable friend. He wouldn't spend hours in a store while there are other, more important things to do. And last time I saw him, he was searching for our fairy friend, Navi. You didn't run into him yet, did you?" I asked Navi.

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. I was with Fluttershy the whole time. Dear Nayru, what are we going to do?"

"I know only one thing to do," Applejack said. She winked at me. "C'mon, Mom. Let's go find yer friend."

* * *

The door opened slowly and a cute yellow snout pushed its way inside. "Hello? Aloe? Lotus? Are you there? We hate to be a bother, but we're here for Rarity…"

"Careful, Fluttershy," Applejack said as she walked past her friend. "We don't know what we're up against."

"Yeah, maybe it's a trap," Rainbow Dash nodded. "Like in Daring Do and the Shimmering Sphinx… Book 4, chapter 3, when Daring ventures into this abandoned casino and finds herself surrounded by…"

"Would you two stop that?" Twilight groaned. "This is the Ponyville Day Spa, not the Temple of Argus. I'm sure there's nothing here we have to be afraid of."

I pushed my way past them and looked around. "I don't know," I said. "Seems awfully quiet for a normal spa. No receptionist, no employees. No customers."

"Maybe… maybe it's a holiday," Twilight said, but her argument sounded pretty weak.

"Twilight, out of all ponies, with all your schedules and charts, I assumed you would know the different Ponyville holidays." Pinkie shook her head disapprovingly. "There is no scheduled party planned for the next two weeks."

"But I don't understand this," Fluttershy muttered. "Where are Aloe and Lotus? Where is Rarity? I hope they're okay."

"I'm… I'm sure Link would protect them if they were in any danger," Navi said, but she sounded uncertain herself.

"Let's take a look around," Twilight said. "Rainbow, you and Pinkie check the sauna. Fluttershy… you're with me. Let's search in the bath and massage rooms. And Applejack…"

"I'm with my Mom," Applejack said. I smiled. Now that I was back, she didn't want to let me out of her sight.

Twilight nodded. "Okay… you check the office, then." And we all spread out.

I entered a regular-looking office with a desk, a couple of chairs, one window and a big mirror hanging on the wall. I checked the window… it was shut tight. And there were no traces around it. No pony had left through here.

"Mom?" Applejack asked. "Can I talk to ya fer a sec?"

I should have known she would have wanted to speak to me in private. "Sure, honey," I said and turned around. "What's on your mind?"

"I… I've been thinkin'," she said. "And I don't really know what's going on. Suddenly, you're back… and it's like you've never been dead in the first place. But now you have that fairy thing with ya and that other friend and everything's crazy and… I just wanna know, where were you? What happened to you?"

"Applejack, I… I'm not who I used to be," I sighed. "I mean, I'm still me, but… I'm not just a farmpony anymore. I'm an adventurer. I met my new friends in a faraway land and helped them save it from a… a very evil man."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a lil filly anymore, Mom. You can give me the hard facts. Was it some sort of evil overlord guy?"

I nodded.

"Black magic?"

"Yes."

"Not very nice?"

"Eeyup!"

"Wanted to take over the world?"

"Of course!"

She sighed. "One of those guys, huh? Sounds a lot like that shadowy king we dealt with in the Crystal Empire."

Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. "Shadow king? Crystal Empire?"

"Long story, Mom. Let's just say yer not the only one with her share of adventures. So, how did ya deal with Darklord McEvilStallion? Blast him with some sort of love or harmony magic stuff?"

I didn't try to explain that Ganondorf was not a pony at all, so I just replied: "No… my friend Link rammed a sword through his skull."

She grimaced. "Sheesh. Sounds kinda grim, dontcha think?"

"Well, he wasn't going to sit down to have tea with us and discuss our differences," I frowned. "Sometimes, extreme measures must be taken, Applejack. I learned that all too well on my journey with Navi and Link. And about my cutie mark… it must have something to do with what happened to me over there. It is… a very important symbol for the people who live in that country."

"Well, wallop my withers," Applejack said with a smirk. "My Mom's a national hero… who would have thought?"

"I actually just helped, honey. Link did most of the work," I said with a blush.

"Don't sell yerself short. I'm mighty proud to have such an awesome Mom." She rubbed her head against mine, and I returned the gesture. That's when I noticed something.

"Applejack… take a look at that mirror. The frame is all crooked."

She took a look. "So? What about it?"

I knew enough about Link's experience with old dungeons and temples to realize what this meant. "If I'm not mistaken, this is…" I fumbled along the mirror frame, until something clicked and the mirror slid sideways. "A hidden passage."

"Whoa nelly!" Applejack gasped. "That's… mighty impressive, Mom. Let's tell the others."

We went back to the foyer, where we met up with the others. "Pinkie found some icky green stuff on the sauna floor," Rainbow reported.

Pinkie nodded. "I took a lick and it made me feel all dizzy."

"Pinkie, don't lick up strange substances you know nothing about," Twilight said. "Well, we found nothing. All of the rooms were empty, and there was stuff lying around everywhere, as if somepony had left the building in a hurry. What about you?" She looked at me and Applejack.

Applejack smirked. "My Mom found a secret passage." That's just like her, to brag with her mother's awesomeness.

"I knew it!" Rainbow shouted. "There IS an ancient temple down below!"

"Rainbow Dash, NOTHING in the history of Ponyville suggests that there was EVER any sort of underground temple constructed here," Twilight sighed. "But let's take a look."

We showed them the entrance. Together, we followed the stairs leading down into a dark chamber… but it was completely dark. Twilight illuminated the room with her horn, and we saw it was completely empty. No other exit either.

Twilight shuddered. "This place …I feel a very dark and chilly aura in here. Somepony must have used some very dark and powerful magic down here."

"Be careful, there might be traps," Rainbow muttered.

"She's in full Daring Do mode," Applejack told me with a roll of her eyes.

"What's a Daring Do?" I quietly asked her.

"Oh, just some books Twi and Rainbow like. Just don't ask Rainbow about them if you don't want to hear a speech that goes on for hours."

I simply nodded and started looking through the room. It felt strange… almost as if the world had completely turned around and I had become the hero traversing the dungeon and Link was the… um… stallion in distress I had to save.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Fluttershy suddenly yelped. "Wh-what is thaaaaat?"

Everypony turned to face her. "What's wrong?" I asked.

Fluttershy pointed at something at the ground, a dark shape lying there. Navi flew closer and her bright aura drove the darkness away a bit. "Those are… skeletons! Pony skeletons…"

Fluttershy covered her eyes with a frightened cry. The others stared at the bones with horror and disbelief. "The bones of dead ponies… in a secret room underneath the Ponyville Day Spa?" Applejack muttered. "That's… that's morbid, y'all."

"B-but I don't understand!" Twilight sounded like she was starting to panic. "How could this have happened? Why didn't I know any of this?"

I took a closer look at the skeletons. "Looks like they've been here for a long time. Several months, at least." Fluttershy's whimpering intensified.

"You… you mean these are dead… dead ponies?" a very quiet and distraught voice next to me spoke up. I took a look and saw to my surprise that it was Pinkie… but the usually chipper party pony had changed a lot. Instead of spreading optimism, she was an image of sadness and despair. Her poofy hair had gone completely flat and even her colorful coat seemed to be drained of its brightness.

"Let's… let's get out of here," Applejack muttered. "Let's get Pinkie and Fluttershy out of here." I nodded in agreement. Whatever adventures these ponies had lived through, it was obvious that they had never encountered true death before. And while the others were disturbed, Pinkie and Fluttershy took it the hardest. Since there was nothing down here that could give us any help, any sort of clue, we just turned around and walked back towards the stairs.

That's when I heard the rattling. I froze. I knew that sound. I heard it a million times before… but that couldn't be! That was back in Hyrule! This was Equestria!

I turned my head… and sure enough, the skeletons were slowly rising to their hooves. Inside their empty eye sockets, a sinister red light started glowing. There were eight of them… Stalfos! They were pony versions of the Hyrule skeleton warriors, but I knew it was them.

The ponies let out screams of fright. "Wh-what are those things?" Rainbow Dash gasped.

"Undead ponies…" Twilight muttered. "Necromancy… one of the forbidden arts. Celestia, how could I not have known this? They are forbidden for a reason."

"Stand back…" I said. "I'll handle them." Even though Link had done most of the fighting, I still had seen him confront evil creatures on an almost daily basis. And sometimes, I even fought at his side when we were ambushed on the Hylian plains at night. Also, I was the only pony in Equestria with any sort of experience with monsters from Hyrule.

With a loud whinny, I charged the first Stalfos before it had any chance of attacking. It wasn't enough to completely defeat it, but it was flung against the wall, where it would need some time to reassemble itself. Another Stalfos let out a screech and tried stabbing me with its horn… it was the skeleton of a unicorn. Good thing they could never use their magic in undeath. I dodged the attack and let him taste my hind legs. I felt the shattering of bone under my hooves, and the creature's skull flew off its body. I tried to face the next opponent, but I knew instantly I wouldn't be fast enough to dodge the attack of the third Stalfos when it lowered its horn and charged at me.

"YEEE-HAWW!" Before it reached me, however, Applejack came running and attacked it with a full body slam. With a rattling sound, it was thrown into one of the other skeletons.

"Y'all leave my Mom alone, you rattling piles of bone, ya hear me?" she shouted. In the next moment, Rainbow Dash and Twilight were at her side and helped her fight off the undead ponies with magic blasts, kicks and dive attacks from above.

I was very surprised… both at how well the three of them fought and that they managed to shrug off their terror that fast. Applejack had told me they had fought some sort of enemy before, but I never expected them to be this formidable in combat… well, except for maybe the alicorn princess. Not wanting to be outdone by my daughter and her friends, I joined them in battle.

I noticed too late how one of the Stalfos, after pulling its bones back together from one of my attacks, wasn't rejoining the battle, but instead turned around to search for an easier prey… and that prey were the still shivering forms of Fluttershy and Pinkie cowering near the staircase. I swore under my breath and ran to help them… but found myself blocked by another skeleton. So I could only watch helplessly as the other Stalfos approached the scared pair.

Fluttershy pulled her mane over her eyes and sobbed, but Pinkie… she looked at her crying friend for a moment, then at the approaching Stalfos.

"You… you're making Fluttershy cry…" she muttered. Suddenly, a very stern expression appeared on her face. "Nopony, and I mean NOPONY makes Fluttershy cry!" she shouted as her hair was suddenly back to its former poofiness. She jumped to her feet, and her hooves reached up into her hair… and somehow, pulled a cannon out of there, a cannon that was almost as big as Pinkie herself.

"Taste my party cannon, you… you unfunny, unsmiling, unhappy bone baddies!" Pinkie shouted as she shot a burst of confetti and streamers out of the cannon… a burst apparently so powerful that the Stalfos broke apart in a shower of fragments.

One last blow of my hoof to my opponent's skull finished the battle. We had won.

"Fluttershy, Pinkie!" Rainbow shouted as she flew to her friends. "Are you okay?"

"Y-y-yes," Fluttershy stuttered, obviously still shaken. "P-Pinkie protected me." And she smiled up at her friend, eyes full with gratitude.

"But that was intense," Applejack panted heavily. "I've never fought these kinds of monsters before."

"We have," I said and exchanged a look with Navi, who nodded. "But not in Equestria."

"This is bad," Twilight muttered. "Really bad. I must inform Princess Celestia about this… and do a lot of research. And…"

"I think we have a much more urgent problem," I said. "Our friends are gone and we last saw them going into a building whose basement was swarming with the undead. The question remains: Where are they?"

* * *

Rarity moaned as she slowly opened her eyes. "Heavens… my head hurts," she muttered. "I feel like after one of Applejack's late night cider parties." She looked around. "Where… where am I?"

She saw Link sitting next to her "Hey, good to see you're feeling better," he said. "And to answer your question: We're in a cage."

He was right. They were imprisoned in a big, iron cage with a heavy padlock hanging from it. The cage was standing on a wooden cart that was slowly moving along a desolate forest path. Through the trees, they could see the evening sky. When Rarity looked ahead, she saw that Aloe and Lotus were sitting in the front of the cart, which was pulled by a pair of strangely bulky-looking ponies.

"Aloe! Lotus! What is the meaning of this? I demand you let us out at once!" Rarity shouted.

"Oh, Miss Rarity, you've woken up!" Aloe said with a smile as she turned around. "Good, I was worried for a while. Sorry for the inconvenience, but we just can't allow you to run to Princess Twilight and tell her about what happened at the spa. Oh, and Mr. Link? Don't bother looking for your sword, we put it somewhere safe."

Link realized that his sword, along with the rest of his equipment, was gone. He couldn't see it anywhere. "Didn't you want to kill her?" he asked with a frown. "Why change your mind now?"

"There was… a change of plans," Lotus said. "Make no mistake, we were ready to carry out the order given to us, but then… we found out something surprising. Something about our dear old friend Miss Rarity, something we would have never guessed before. We told our master about it and he told us to leave Ponyville and bring the both of you somewhere safer."

"Your… master?" Link asked, confused. "Who is your master? It can't be Ganondorf, he's gone."

"Do you honestly think we would tell you such a crucial piece of information that easily, Hero of Time?" Lotus frowned. "You'll meet him soon enough… if and when he desires to see you. For now, we are meeting with a couple of… let's say accomplices. Be thankful you both are still alive."

Rarity sighed deeply. "I don't understand. I've known you for years and suddenly, you two seem like complete strangers."

"You probably don't know them as well as I do," Link said. "They are the twin witches, Twinrova… deception and deceit is what they do and enjoy. They work only for the evil king, Ganondorf… at least, that's what they did when I last saw them. All they wanted to do was to make sure he was the ruler of my home country. And they stopped at nothing to accomplish that. They are a pair of cruel, horrible, ugly witches."

"Ugly? Now that stung!" Aloe gasped mockingly. "Say, Hero of Time, did you take a good look at us? Do we look ugly to you? Do you think this is a disguise? No, this is who we are now. The old witches are dead, remember? It was you who delivered the final blow. You killed us!"

Rarity looked at Link. "Is… is that true? Did you really… kill them?"

"I did what I had to do, Rarity," Link shouted. "Don't let them fool you, they were doing horrible stuff back then."

"It's all true, Miss Rarity," Aloe sighed. "We did a lot of awful things in our old lives. And I won't apologize for them. But after we died, we were reborn as ponies."

Rarity swallowed. That was a lot to take in. "But you don't have to do this," she softly said after a while. "If what you're saying is true, then your old life is over. You don't have to do all these horrible things anymore. Just go back to your old lives at the spa. I'll tell the princesses you had a change of heart. I'm sure they'll understand."

Aloe hesitated. "I… wish I could, Miss Rarity," she sighed. "Truly, I wish I could just go back to being a regular earth pony in Ponyville. But things have changed…"

"Be quiet, sister!" Lotus snapped. "You're right, things have changed. These lives we lived… they were fake lives. Our master showed us our past, he knows what we did. He is the only way out of this for us. He is our salvation! Be a bit more grateful!"

Aloe sighed and turned away from the cage. "You're right… I'm sorry."

Link snorted. "You're not getting away with this…"

Lotus snickered. "But we already have. We left Ponyville far behind, and if anyone tries to search our old hiding place, we left a nice little surprise there. I wish I could be there to see it. But tomorrow morning, we'll be at our new hideout. I just hope our three-handed friend has prepared everything for our arrival… and the ritual."

"Ritual? Wh-what kind of ritual?" Rarity asked.

"Oh, that's the reason why we didn't kill you yet," Lotus smiled. "You see, we are looking for the powers of the sages of this kingdom. And you, you are the Sage of Generosity! Congratulations, Miss Rarity!"


	9. Family Reunion

I had regained my daughter. But then, I lost my friend. Did life have to make me feel miserable, I wondered. Back in Hyrule, I was without my family. And now that I'm back in Equestria, my best friend was taken from me.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Navi gently poked my side. "Epona? I think you should take a look at this… I found it among the defeated Stalfos." I looked at what she was holding. It was a torn piece of cloth. And it had a very familiar-looking emblem on it.

It was the emblem of the Gerudo tribe.

"How?" I muttered. "This doesn't make any sense. How can this be here?"

"I don't know, but I didn't exactly expect Stalfos to be here either," Navi shrugged.

"Did ya find something, Mom?" Applejack asked.

I nodded and showed her the piece of cloth. Twilight came to take a look as well. "Huh? Now what in the hay is that supposed to be?" Applejack wondered. "Ya ever see anything like that before, Twi?"

"I'm… not sure," Twilight said. "I have the weirdest feeling I've seen it before in a book. But I'm pretty sure it wasn't a book about linguistics… maybe it was 'Ancient Cultures and History'? No, that's not it either…"

"What are you all doing, looking at that rag?" Rainbow asked as she pushed her way past Applejack. "Don't we have more important stuff to do like, I don't know… find Rarity? Let's get out of here and…" She went silent when she looked at the cloth and her jaw dropped. "Th-that… that's… Twilight, don't you know what that is?"

"Wait a second, are you telling me you know something about a symbol Twilight knows nothing about?" Applejack asked in confusion. "Did the whole world turn around or something?"

"Very funny, AJ," Rainbow snorted. "But yes, I know what this is. And Twilight should know, too. Don't you remember, Twilight? The cover of book seven…"

"Book… seven?" Twilight asked. But then her eyes widened and she let out a gasp. "Of course! Daring Do and the Desert Ruins! This is the symbol seen on the book's cover…"

"Wait, what?" I asked. "You're talking about that book series my daughter mentioned? That's impossible. This is an emblem I've seen in Hyrule… the land I was in before coming back here."

"Are you sure about that?" Twilight asked. "I've seen the book a hundred times, it's standing in my library. I know exactly what it looks like, and this is it." She pointed at the cloth. "Maybe the emblem you mean just looks similar?"

I shook my head. "It's not just similar. It's absolutely identical! The emblem of the Gerudo tribe… I've been in their fortress. They have it everywhere: On the buildings, on their clothes, even on the membership card they gave to Link."

"It's true, I remember it as well," Navi nodded.

"But… you couldn't BOTH be right… right?" Applejack asked in confusion.

"There are only two explanations," Twilight said. "Either one of us is wrong, or… or this tribe you mentioned must have some sort of connection to the ruins Daring Do is visiting in this book. According to her adventures, she found some mysterious, ancient ruins in the Diamond Desert… where she found this emblem everywhere on the ruined buildings."

"But I thought those books were just stories," I said, very confused. "You make it sound like this Daring Do actually exists and the author of this book wrote down her actual adventures."

I saw how my daughter and her friends exchanged a knowing smile.

* * *

After another thorough search of the spa, we were unable to find any other sort of clue, except for the piece of cloth. So we decided to leave for now. Fluttershy was visibly flustered after what happened and she quietly asked Twilight if it was okay for her to go home. In the end, Pinkie and Navi decided to escort and comfort her. Navi seemed worried for her new friend, and Pinkie… well, after what happened I could tell that she needed some comfort as well.

I was unsure on what to do next. From what Applejack's friends told me, the author of these books actually IS the real Daring Do, who wrote down her adventures under a monicker. Since we had no clue as to where Link and their unicorn friend had disappeared to, visiting Daring Do seemed like the only possibility we had.

However, I had a different kind of problem waiting for me as soon as we stepped outside the spa building. And that problem was Granny Smith.

Both me and Applejack were taken aback by the stern look she gave me. I had to take only one look into her eyes and I could tell: She knew!

"Applejack!" the Apple matriarch shouted. "Home, now!"

"Wh-what?" Twilight stuttered. "Excuse me, Granny Smith… b-but we have a very big problem on our hooves right now and we need every pony…"

"I'm sorry, princess," Granny said. "But this is a very important Apple family matter. Everything else must wait."

Twilight looked like she wanted to protest, but she meekly nodded and stepped back. I saw Granny Smith could be as intimidating as ever. She even made an alicorn princess back off. As for Applejack, she gave her friends an apologetic smile and ran home.

Granny Smith walked up to me, slowly. She was smaller than me, but I still felt intimidated.

"Cup Cake just brought home Apple Bloom and her friends, to watch over them. Can you imagine my surprise when she told me the young mare I welcomed this morning was the long-lost daughter I cried countless nights over?"

"Mother, I can explain…" I started.

"You bet yer shiny golden, three-pointed hindquarters you will!" she shouted. "You will come home and explain everything… not just to me, but to your children as well. Didn't you think for one second they didn't deserve to see their mother after such a long time? Didn't you think they deserve to know the truth about where she was? Did you think one second about those young fillies and that colt? You sure as applesauce can explain! And you will move yer flank over to yer son and daughters and explain things to them right NOW!"

I sighed. I knew I could never win a discussion or argument with Granny Smith. And within me, I knew she was right. I had my reasons for not telling them the truth, but they were egoistical reasons. She was right, they had every right to know.

"Excuse me, girls," I said to my daughter's friends. "I need to take care of something. Could you wait a while before heading to Daring Do?"

"Of course" Twilight said. "Take your time. We don't know what will happen to Rarity and your friend, but we don't exactly have a clue yet."

"Well okay, but I will write a letter so she knows we're coming," Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight nodded. "And I will inform the princess. She must know what is going on in her kingdom."

"Okay… see you later," I said and followed Granny Smith home. I honestly felt like a young filly again, who was scolded after doing something bad. Even though I was a full-grown mare. Even as a pony, I towered over my mother-in-law's old and frail body. I was also much more muscular as when I last met her. As we walked, she examined me very carefully.

"Should have recognized you right away when y'all appeared at Sweet Apple Acres," she grumbled. "I blame my damned muddled old brain and yer new looks. But you've still got those shiny blue eyes… the eyes my son fell in love with. But other than that and yer colors… Confound it, girl, where the hay have you been and what did ya do to yerself?"

"I was on an adventure, mother," I sighed. "I fought monsters… helped a good friend of mine… As for the cutie mark, I can't really tell."

"Hmmmm… that friend of yours… he's not sweet on you, is he?"

I blushed. "Wh-what? No, we're just friends!"

Satisfied, she nodded. "Good. Don't wanna explain to the kids that their mother ran off with another stallion. Did you ever think once of coming back to your family?"

"It's not as easy as that, mother," I muttered. "Believe me, if I knew sooner there was a way back home, I would have taken it."

She grunted. "Well, I believe you for now. You've always been an honest one… that's where Applejack got it from. I'm still upset because you lied to me, though."

We arrived at the farm. Granny just pointed at the door, and with a deep sigh, I opened.

Inside, my heart jumped a bit again. I saw Apple Bloom and her two friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, sitting at the table, each having a slice of apple pie. Usually, my mouth would have watered by now. No pony can make a pie as delicious as Granny Smith. But I was distracted by my third child who was sitting with them… Big Macintosh. By Celestia, had he grown big and strong. He only gave me a look of confusion when I entered. Applejack, who was sitting next to him, only gave me a half-hearted smile. Apparently, she hadn't told either of them the truth yet. Which made sense… I'm the one who was supposed to tell them, of course.

Granny Smith walked in behind me and closed the door. Apple Bloom swallowed the bite of pie she had in her mouth and smiled at me. "Howdy again, Miss Romani. Yer here to buy some apples after all? Or do ya wanna try some of Granny's pie?"

Scootaloo mumbled something, but her mouth was full.

"She says it's very good," Sweetie helpfully translated the pegasus' pie-induced mumbling.

Granny coughed a bit. "Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo? Could you two come with me for a moment?"

Scootaloo gulped down her pie. "What? Why?" she asked.

Granny tried to come up with an excuse. "Because… I have some leftover jars of Zap Apple Jam in the pantry you two could take home with ya."

"Oh, yummy!" Sweetie Belle shouted with excitement as she jumped off her chair. Together, she and Scootaloo ran after Granny Smith, which left me alone with my three children.

Apple Bloom wanted to run after her friends, but Applejack stopped her. "Sugarcube… wait a second. There's something we need to tell y'all. You too, Big Mac."

"Huh? Really? What is it? Is it about Miss Romani?" Apple Bloom asked. Big Macintosh hadn't said a word up to now, but he was just as confused as his little sister as he looked at me.

I took a deep breath. "I… wasn't quite honest with you when we met, Apple Bloom. My name isn't really Romani, Apple Bloom. And I'm not a stranger at all. I met all of you before… even though you were too young to remember." I affectionally ruffled Bloom's mane a bit. "You see, my true name is… it's Epona. Epona Apple."

For a while, everyone was silent. Apple Bloom was still as confused as before.

Big Macintosh, however, stood up to his feet. "Mother?" he asked in his deep voice.

Uncertain on what to say, I just nodded. I was startled when he suddenly came around the table, almost throwing over one of the chairs, and grabbed me in the gentlest hug you could imagine from such a big and powerful stallion. He didn't say anything, but his shoulders were shaking.

"Big… Macintosh?" I asked and looked up at him. I saw tears in the corners of his eyes. I felt a huge amount of guilt in my chest at that moment. How could I have ever consider leaving these children of mine behind? How could I take away their only chance to see their mother again… OUR only chance to be a family again?

Tears started flowing out of my eyes as well. "I'm so… so sorry, son…" I whispered. "So sorry…"

"Sssshhh," he said. "Yer home now… that's all that matters. Eyup…"

How I had longed to hear that word from my little boy again.

Applejack hadn't moved yet, though I could tell she had a hard time not to run up to us and join the family hug. She was still standing at Apple Bloom's side. The little filly was staring at me with wide eyes.

"Mom?" she asked. "Is that really you?"

I looked up from Big Mac's shoulder and smiled at her with teary eyes. "It is, seedling… it is me… I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Seedling. The little affectionate word we always called her after she was born. She was so tiny back then and we always had all our hopes in her, like in a little seed that still had to grow into a big and strong apple tree. I never thought she would remember such a small word from when she was a baby, but it was this word that brought back flashes of memory.

"MOMMY!" she cried as she ran at me, as sudden as Big Mac. Like him, she clung to me desperately, as if she wanted to stop me from running away. But I knew that wouldn't be necessary. I would stay here, with them. I reached out to her with my right hoof while my left one was still around Big Mac's broad shoulder. In comparison to him, she was so tiny…

Applejack couldn't help herself anymore and she ran up to us as well, hugging the three of us at once, joining us as we cried tears of happiness.

I had them back. I had my children back.

* * *

"Dear Princess Celestia,

I must inform you that something important has happened that needs all of our attention right away. My friend Rarity has vanished, alongside a stallion from a foreign land. They were last seen in the Ponyville Day Spa, which we found completely abandoned… abandoned except for a group of undead skeleton ponies. From my studies, I know this means there has to be a necromancer running loose. The threat of the skeletons has been dealt with, but I still fear for the safety of Rarity. My friend and I have found a lead on where we could start our search. However, I felt obligated to inform you about these worrisome events. I also request for a platoon of guards to be dispatched to Ponyville, for the safety of the inhabitants. If there is a maleficent necromancer running wild, we cannot take any chances. I'm sorry I don't have any more information about this, except that the culprit might come from a land called Hyrule. I have never heard from such a country or read about it in my books, but I thought that if there is a pony who might know that land, it must be you. Please inform us if you have any kind of information that might help us.

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

Celestia put down the letter she had just received via dragon mail. "Hyrule…" she muttered to herself. "It's been a long time since I've heard that name before… a very long time."

She put the letter down and started pacing through her chambers. Through a window, she could see her sister Luna standing on a balcony, using her magic to raise the moon for the night. She knew she had to tell her about these disconcerting news. During her long absence, Luna had never heard anything about that kingdom. She had to be informed about everything Celestia knew.

But for now, there was one other, urgent matter she had to take care of. She made sure that every door and window was shut tight and, to be on the safe side, she cast a spell that stopped all sounds from getting out of this room. Afterwards, she looked up into the air and shouted:

"Farore! If you or any of your sisters hear me, I want you to move your sorry flanks here right now!"

For a moment, it seemed as if her words were unheard. But then, a flashing, emerald green light appeared in the middle of the room. And in its middle, an alicorn started materializing. It had a long, flowing mane not unlike Celestia's, but it was just as green as the light. Her coat was as brown as that of an old forest tree.

"Celestia!" the alicorn said with a smile. "Why, I haven't seen you in eons. To call me on such short notice… what's the occasion?"

Celestia snorted angrily. "Don't play dumb with me, Farore! I want answers and I want them now."

Farore tilted her head. "You seem upset… and tense. Do you want some tea? I just attended one of Palutena's late night partys and she has this exquisite tea made of…"

"Don't you change the subject," Celestia shouted. "I haven't called you here for a casual visit. One of my subjects has gone missing, and as far as I know, the culprit is someone from YOUR realm!"

That took the other alicorn by surprise. "You mean… from Hyrule?"

"Yes! Care to explain how this is possible? I thought we agreed to always keep the borders closed. No resident of either realm shall be allowed to cross them. Isn't that what we agreed on, last time we met?"

"I see. You are under the impression that little old me has something to do with this," Farore chuckled. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you either how this happened."

"How can you not know?" Celestia asked. "Hyrule is the world you and your sisters created… it is under your supervision. How could something of this magnitude happen without you noticing it?"

Farore frowned. "I may be a goddess, but I'm not omnipotent, Celestia. You should know. Can you tell what what's happening everywhere in your kingdom at every time?"

"Well… no… but you have Din and Nayru to help you. This shouldn't have happened!"

"Oh, so you're saying that my sisters and I must have everything under control. I see. Good to know that you managed to accomplish the same thing with your sister… oh, wait a minute! You didn't! You sent her to the moon!"

"DON'T YOU DARE BRING THAT UP NOW!" Celestia yelled as she glared at Farore. "What happened to Luna was NOT my fault!"

"Oh really? I'm sorry, I must have mistaken you for another alicorn princess who DIDN'T NOTICE HOW MUCH HER OWN SISTER WAS SUFFERING!"

"YOU LITTLE…"

"Sister, would you kindly keep your voice down? Wasn't it you who told me that the royal canterlot voice is a thing of the past?" a calm voice spoke up.

Both Celestia and Farore were surprised as they turned their heads and saw Luna standing next to them. "L-luna?" Celestia stuttered. "H-how did you get in here?"

"Oh please," the princess of the night chuckled. "Remember when we were little fillies? You always tried to lock me out of your room with magic locks, but I was always able to pick them. Now, will you tell me who your friend is and whether or not I should be worried if the two of you might start blowing up the castle?"

Both goddesses suddenly realized just how much their divine auras had started flaring up during their little argument. Embarrassed, they reduced them back to their normal, invisible for the mortal eye standard.

Farore was still surprised, though. "Luna?" she asked. "Y-you are here? Not banished? And free from any kind of corruption?"

"Yes. And since everypony in Equestria must know this by now, you must not be from Equestria. May I ask for your name?"

"This is Farore, Luna," Celestia introduced the goddess. "Daughter of Hylia and protector of Hyrule."

"I… never heard these names before," Luna admitted.

"I will tell you everything… but first, we need to deal with a big problem," Celestia said.

"Two big problems, actually," Farore agreed. "I suggest you deal with the case of your missing subject and I will try to find out who managed to cross the borders… and how he managed to do that. You know I hate to get directly involved with mortals, but this is serious."

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "And what about your tea party with Palutena."

"She can wait. For now, I need to speak with my sisters. Farewell!" And she disappeared in another flash of green.

Luna blinked. "You have interesting friends."

* * *

Rarity was not having a good day.

It started pretty hectic, with a big order of dresses she had to finish in a short time for one of her more important customers. The day got worse when Opalescence laid down on one of the finished dresses, getting cat hair all over it. After taking a lunch break, she thought she had put the worst behind her as she actually managed to finish the order ahead of schedule. But the worst was yet to come.

Everything seemed to be wonderful when she met a quite charming and handsome stallion in her boutique, a gentlecolt who gave her inspiration the boost she needed. On top of that, he agreed to accompany her to a relaxing afternoon at the spa. But did she have a wonderful time? No, she was kidnapped by the ponies she believed to be some of her oldest friends. And now, late in the evening, she sat in a dirty old cage on a very uncomfortable, shaking carriage, when she was supposed to be with her family in one of her favorite restaurants.

Now she was getting hungry, too.

She was about to ask if her day could get any worse, but experience told her that asking such a question meant tempting fate. So she didn't do it. Instead, she looked outside, in-between the bars of her cage and asked in a whiny voice: "Are we there yet?"

"Why, are you eager to reach our destination?" Lotus asked from the front. "Do you know what we are going to do to you, Miss Rarity? Do you know what the ritual involves?"

Rarity flinched. "On second thought, take your time. There's no need to rush."

"On the contrary. Surely, our partners are already waiting for us. We should hurry."

"Sister," Aloe interjected. "We are approaching the city. We should constrain them. And get rid of the golems."

"Right, we don't want everypony to see our precious cargo and ask silly questions," Lotus nodded. She jumped off the cart and stood in front of the bulky ponies that were pulling it. She chanted a couple of strange-sounding words, and the ponies turned into sand. She then turned to face the prisoners. "Oh, in case you think of shouting for help…" The gem on her headband started glowing, and for a moment, Rarity felt like her throat was strangulated. She gasped, but no sound left her muzzle. Confused, she turned to Link and tried speaking to him… but nothing happened. Her lips moved, but that was it.

"A little silencing spell," Aloe explained. "Sorry we have to do this, but there is just too much on the line for us." And after that, everything went dark. A big blanket was put over the cage.

Rarity sighed. Up to now, she had at least been able to converse. But now, she couldn't even speak with her fellow captive. So now boredom was added to her already bad day, too.

She saw Link shuffling around and watched as he tried to take a look outside. On one side of the cage, the blanket didn't properly cover everything. Moonlight was shining through a thin gap, into the cage. Rarity heard the clopping of hooves, lots of voices and the wheels of many carriages. Where had the twins brought them?

Link peeked through the small gap. After a while, he waved Rarity over and let her take a look as well. She was very surprised as she realized that she recognized the city they were going through: It was Manehattan!

"Where is the harbor?" they heard Aloe mumble. "Is there still time?"

"It's that way," Lotus replied quietly. "Don't worry, the boat won't leave without us. But calm down, you'll attract unwanted attention."

After a while, the carriage stopped. Rarity heard the cries of seagulls nearby and the air smelled like salt.

"Come on, it's that ship over there. Let's tell him we're here. He and his men can bring those two on board, we did more than enough by bringing them here."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to just leave them here?"

"Hey, it's not like they can espace."

* * *

Coco Pommel was having a very nice day.

It started with a delicious breakfast. Shortly afterwards, she took a look at her daily mail. And to her joy and surprise, she found out that one of the merchants overseas she had contacted was very interested in the dress patterns she had sent him… the patterns she had from her new friend, the designer Rarity. All she had to do was to bring him one of the copies Rarity had generously left with her. The only problem was, he was living in Saddle Arabia… and there were no trains going there. Which meant she had to take a ship.

But her good day continued when she stumbled across a certain somepony on the street, a sailor who was a good friend of her late father… and he agreed to take her on his ship. And on top of that, he invited her for a drink in his favorite tavern at the harbor, right next to the docks.

When she left the tavern, feeling a little tipsy but also warm and fuzzy on the inside, it was already late and the moon was shining over Manehattan, big and bright.

'So big…' she thought to herself. 'Almost looks like it's going to fall down on top of the city.' She giggled a bit at her silliness and started walking. She felt a bit nervous, walking past the old warehouses. But she was certain that she would probably be all right as soon as she'd reach the street, where she'd call for a cab to take her home.

She came past a parked carriage, when she started stumbling. "Whoa… I better think twice before trying out rum in the future," she muttered as she leaned against the cart. The big box or whatever it was that was standing on the carriage, slid a bit sidewards. The blanket covering it also slid off a bit, revealing that it was, in fact, a cage.

She was also looking at her friend Rarity, who was sitting inside that cage. For a moment, Coco thought she had drunk enough to hallucinate, but she saw Rarity let out a silent gasp and she frantically waved her hooves at Coco.

"Rarity? Is that… is that you?" Coco asked. The white unicorn nodded and made some more gestures with her hooves, pointing to the padlock that was keeping the cage closed.

"What happened? Who put you in here? Can't you talk?" Seeing her friend in distress made Coco very nervous and upset. "Oh, what am I supposed to do? A… a key? There's a key? But where? I… Oh Rarity, I can't find it. Who did this to you? And where are they?"

Rarity pointed in the direction where the twins had left. "That yacht over there? I heard it belongs to a Dr. Caballeron… a very rich stallion. Oh, in what did you get yourself into now?"

The stallion that was in the cage with Rarity pointed at the ship, then the lock. Coco understood at once what he wanted from her. Her eyes widened with fear. "M-me? Get the key from them? Oh no no no, I can't do that. I'm not a very brave pony…" Her legs started shaking.

Rarity reached out of the cage and gently patted Coco's head. Using her magic, she then took hold of a stick lying on the ground and started writing in the dirt.

'TELL MY FRIENDS' she wrote.

"B-but I can't just leave you here… those ponies that captured you… if they do anything to you… AH! Somepony's coming! I'm so, so sorry, Rarity, but I better leave… I'm going to tell the others. Don't you worry." And she ran away, as fast as her little hooves could carry her.

Just a moment later, the twins returned. At their side was a dark stallion with an unshaved chin, who was followed by an assortment of male ponies who looked quite brutish, in Rarity's eyes.

"So, you are certain that these two are the ones we are looking for?" the stallion asked in an accented voice.

"At least one of them," Lotus replied. "The other one is an old nuisance we need to get rid of. Now, bring the cage on board!" she told the thugs.

They didn't move. "My boys know I would never let them accept orders from anyone… If you want their assistance, we need to discuss the matter of payment first."

"Caballeron… Didn't Ahuizotl tell you you'd be paid as soon as you brought the prisoner to him?" Aloe frowned.

"That's Dr. Caballeron!" the stallion frowned. "And we agreed on ONE prisoner. What I see here are two. More prisoners, more bits. It's easy, isn't it?"

Lotus rolled her eyes. "Very well, your fee will be doubled. But we can only pay you after we reach Saddle Arabia. Now can your men hurry up? We don't have all night."

"That's fine with me," Caballeron nodded. "All right, boys. You heard the ladies." With a smile, he turned to look at the prisoners. "Just so you know, this is nothing personal. But business is business."

He nodded towards his men, and the cage was carried to the yacht.


	10. Sages and Princesses

"And that's how Link defeated the feral fire dragon all by himself."

The three fillies' eyes went wide as I finished my story. "Wooooooow…"

"I have the coolest mom ever!" Apple Bloom shouted as she gave my neck another hug, probably the sixth or seventh one of the morning. I couldn't help but smile proudly. She was right, wasn't she? Not every little filly's mother could claim being an experienced adventurer.

"Maybe that's what I'm going to be when I'm growing up," Scootaloo grinned. "A dragon slayer… I'd have a cool sword and everything. Hey, you think Spike would let me practice on him?"

"But that's dangerous, isn't it?" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "I mean, you heard Mrs. Apple. Dragons are big and scary and breathe fire…

"Aw, come on, I could totally take 'em," Scootaloo smirked. I shook my head with a sigh. Children…

"The three of you have still a lot of growing up to do," I told them. "Don't rush things. Enjoy your childhood as long as you can."

Apple Bloom tilted her head. "But Mom, didn't you just tell us you already helped Link when you both were young."

I grimaced and chose my next words carefully. "That… was different, you know? Besides, we really had no choice. And Hyrule is a much more dangerous country than Equestria. Much safer, too."

"If it's so safe, why do we have to stay here?" Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle nodded. "Yeah, why can't we come along and help save Rarity?"

Great, I was outmaneuvered by little fillies. "Listen, kids… it's really not a good idea for you to come along. I don't think there will be any dragons, but there are more things out there that could harm you. And unlike you, I've been in battles before."

"But you can protect us," Apple Bloom protested.

"I'm sorry, Apple Bloom, but no means no," I said firmly. "I can't take you with me."

"But you just came back," she shouted. "I don't want you to leave again… can't I come? Pretty please?" She looked up at me with the biggest eyes.

"Honey, the puppy dog eyes are not going to work. Applejack gave me those all the time when she was your age."

"Dang," she muttered. "Oh well, it was worth a shot. But you'll watch yerself, won't you?"

I smiled at her. "I promise."

Applejack came into the room. "Mom, I've packed everything. Ya ready to leave?"

I nodded and gave Apple Bloom another hug. "Don't worry, seedling. I'll be back. Be good now, you hear me?"

She nodded and I ruffled that adorable bow of hers. "That's a good girl. See you girls later." And then we left.

Scootaloo walked up to Apple Bloom. "We're going after them, right?"

Apple Bloom smirked. "Of course."

* * *

Celestia had just raised the sun when we met Twilight and Rainbow in front of the library, which was apparently also where Twilight lived. I thought it was a very strange place for a princess to live, but I decided not to show my surprise.

"Where are Pinkie and Fluttershy?" Applejack asked.

"Still at Fluttershy's cottage. She's so shaken by what happened, I doubt she'd come along. Pinkie and Navi are trying to cheer her up," Twilight said.

"And what about you girls? Did y'all take care of everything? Can we go after Rarity?"

Rainbow nodded. "I just came back from Daring Do. I told her what happened, and as soon as I mentioned the Saddle Arabian symbol, she told me to meet up with her in Manehattan."

"The Gerudo symbol," I corrected her. "And didn't you say her house is miles away from here? How did you get there and back here so fast?"

"Saddle Arabian, Gerudo, whatever…" the pegasus muttered. "And flying that distance in a short time with no pony to slow me down? Easy peasy!" She smirked.

"Why exactly Manehattan?" Applejack asked.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I dunno, but she sounded pretty agitated. Doesn't really matter, y'know? Knowing that Daring Do needs the help of her number one assistant is enough for me to dash at her side."

"Now you're starting to sound like Spike," Twilight said. "But Manehattan is actually perfect. Remember Coco, Rarity's new friend? I just received a letter from her. You wanna know what she saw at the Manehattan harbor?" She looked at me. "Rarity and your friend, imprisoned in a cage by a bunch of tough-looking stallions. She watched how they took them on a boat. And get this: The owner of that boat was none other than Caballeron!"

"That shady guy who took the golden ring from Daring Do?" Applejack frowned. "Now I know something bad is going on."

"There's no time to waste," I said. "We have to take the next train to Manehattan."

"You got it!" Rainbow nodded. "Let's go, girls!"

But just before we could leave, the library door opened and someone shouted: "Twilight, wait!"

I blinked in surprise. That was a dragon. A very small and young dragon, but still. "Who's that?" I wondered.

"That's my assistant, Spike," Twilight explained. "Spike, what is it? You know we don't have much time."

"I know that, but… this letter from Princess Celestia just arrived," the little dragon said. Curiously, Twilight levitated the scroll out of his hand and unrolled it.

"Can't this wait?" I sighed. "We really need to get going."

"Just a moment… Celestia normally only writes when it's really important. Oh… you guys… I need to go to Canterlot. She needs me there. You have to go without me."

"What? Now?" Rainbow shouted. "For real? I mean, I respect the princess and all, but we're kinda in the middle of a rescue mission here."

"Do ya really have to go, Twi?" Applejack asked. "We could really use those alicorn powers of your to kick some bad guys' tails."

"I'm sorry, but this sounds very urgent. Also… she asked me to bring along one of our guests from Hyrule."

"Well, you'll have to ask Navi," I frowned. "I'm not available at the moment." I had the utmost respect for the sovereign ruler of Equestria, but there's no way I would abandon Link just because of a letter.

"That's probably the best idea," Twilight nodded. "She didn't exactly say that she needs all of you. I'll bring Navi to her, and as soon as I'm done, I'll go after you guys."

"Yeah, but how will you find us if we aren't in Manehattan anymore after that?" Rainbow asked.

I saw the princess smirk. "Find and search spell. Won't be a problem."

"Maybe I should go, too," Spike spoke up. "You guys need all the help you can get, right?"

"Ya sure about this, lil fella?" Applejack asked him. "It's going to be mighty dangerous."

"That's just it, Rarity might be in danger!" Spike said. "I can't just sit there and do nothing. I must save her!"

"Why is that dragon so worried about Rarity?" I quietly asked my daughter.

"See, Mom… Spike here is good friends with all of us. But Rarity always had a special place in his heart. He has this huge crush on her, ya know? He can't stand to see her in danger. Never could."

I had to admit, that seemed pretty weird to me. A pony and a dragon? How was that supposed to work? But when I looked into the little guy's eyes, I saw something I had seen before. Twice, actually.

There were two girls in Link's past that beared special feelings for the young Hylian: Saria of the Kokiri and Princess Ruto of the Zora. But both of them eventually realized that they could never have such a relationship with the Hero of Time after finding out that they were sages of Hyrule. This little dragon seemed to feel towards Rarity just like they felt towards Link. Now I had to wonder: Would he eventually come to the same conclusion as the two girls, or would he continue to follow this route?

I shook my head. There was no time to think about such things. "Listen up, everypony. I'm leaving now. We already wasted more than enough time. So whoever wants to come with me to Manehattan has to come now."

"Perfect!" Spike said as he put on a tiny backpack. "I packed everything I need, let's go."

Twilight sighed. "Might not be such a bad idea, actually. This way, you guys can stay in contact with me and the other princesses. I'll see you soon… just watch yourselves, okay?"

"With me around, what could possibly go wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked with a cocky grin. "See ya."

And finally, we were off.

* * *

A young-looking girl with green hair stood on a drawbridge leading over a moat, looking up from her map at the big gate in front of her.

"So, according to Princess Zelda's instructions, this must be Hyrule Castle Town," she murmured to herself. "Everything's so big… kind of frightening. How can Hylians live in a place like this?"

She knew about her destiny as the Sage of the Forest for many years by now, but she never actually had to leave the forest. Whenever there was something important the sages had to discuss, they always chose the chamber of the sages as their meeting place. And this place could be reached from the five temples in Hyrule, including the Temple of Time. But now, the princess had summoned all of the sages to Hyrule Castle, for a very important meeting.

Saria now knew she didn't have to fear being turned into a Stalchild after leaving the forest. She also wasn't as afraid of monsters as she used to be, Mido had started teaching her how to use the Kokiri Sword. And then there were her powers as a sage. Still, she felt intimidated as she stood in front of the big city. It was so different from everything she knew.

A loud splash coming from her right startled her. A sleek, blue figure came leaping out of the water, did an elegant roll in mid-air and landed safely on her feet. Saria smiled when she recognized Ruto, princess of the Zoras.

"So, you are here already," the sage of water said as she approached the smaller girl. "Do you have any idea why Zelda called us here?"

"No, but I'm sure she will tell us as soon as we get to her," Saria said.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"W-well…" Saria looked through the gate, to where the noise from the marketplace was coming from. "Can we just go through here? You've never been here either, right?"

"No, but I don't see what the big deal is," Ruto shrugged. "I mean, after everything that happened, they have to know we are allies. So no problem, right?"

Saria still felt insecure, but at least now she had a companion. So she nodded and followed her fellow sage inside the town walls.

As soon as they set foot on the marketplace, people started to look at them with wide eyes. Gasps and murmurs were starting to get loud all around them.

"What's their problem?" Ruto muttered with a frown as she looked around. "It's like they've never seen a Zora before."

"M-ma'am!" one of the guards shouted as he came running at them with rattling armor. His face was as red as a tomato. "P-please excuse me, ma'am, but you simply can't run around here like this."

Ruto looked down at herself. "What, am I dirty or anything? I see nothing on me."

"Th-that's exactly the problem, ma'am!" The soldier blushed. "You, um… you aren't wearing any clothes. You need to cover yourself up, or do you want to be arrested for indecent exposure?"

"WHAT?" Ruto shrieked. "How dare you? I'm the princess of the Zoras, and the Sage of Water!"

"Ruto, please calm down," Saria tried to appease her friend.

"But did you hear what he's saying? Back at home, we NEVER have to put on these… obstructive piles of fabric they call clothing."

More murmurs and whispers were getting loud among them. Saria couldn't make out all the details, but she heard phrases like "I knew it, those Zoras have no shame!" or "What scandalous behavior!" or even "That fish woman is such a hussy!" She was very glad Ruto didn't seem to hear at least that last one.

"A thousand pardons, your highness," the hapless soldier sweated. "But please put on this robe. You would do me and yourself a great favor."

"Just do it, Ruto," Saria whispered. "It's not worth making a great fuss about it."

"Oh, all right," Ruto huffed. "But I'll have you know that I will tell Princess Zelda about this." And she grabbed the simple, blue robe the guard was offering her and reluctantly put it on.

Princess Zelda let her gaze sweep across the castle's big entrance hall. Darunia of the Gorons, Sage of Fire, as well as Nabooru of the Gerudo, Sage of Spirit, were already present. Right next to the princess stood Rauru, Sage of Light, and her bodyguard and handmaiden Impa, Sage of Shadows. Then, the main gate opened and the majordomo announced the arrival of Saria and Princess Ruto.

Zelda smiled and slowly walked down the big staircase to welcome her guests, but before she could say anything, Ruto opened her mouth and shouted: "What the hell is wrong with your people, Zelda? Are they so prudish that they are unable to appreciate a bit of my natural Zora beauty? I hope for everyone's sake that I don't have to wear this rag everytime I come for a visit." Visibly annoyed, she pulled at the robe she was wearing. "It's so itchy and confining…"

Darunia let out a hearty laugh. "Yes, I ran into similar problems, princess. And then the guards had trouble finding some pants that actually fit a Goron. We just have to accept that the Hylian culture is different from ours. And maybe they get used to our customs in time."

Nabooru smirked. "Wouldn't actually bother me if they lifted their strict dressing code a bit. Even I got some stares on the street for my outfit. Some of those men on the street acted like they never saw a woman before. I wouldn't mind seeing them shirtless."

Zelda blushed a crimson red and Impa cleared her throat. "Can we please get on topic? The princess has called all of you here for a very important matter."

"Yes," Zelda nodded. "Hyrule is facing a pivotal point in history and we, the seven sages, must be prepared for what is coming."

"What's going on?" Saria asked. "What are you talking about?"

Zelda made a short pause. "I had a vision tonight."

The sages looked at each other. They all knew that Princess Zelda's visions should be taken seriously. And they usually tend to come true.

"It was a message, actually. From another country… another world, even. A kingdom situated in another dimension… and tonight, I was contacted by one of the two rulers over this kingdom, Princess Luna."

"Another world?" Nabooru frowned. "Why have we never heard of this before?"

"Because we never knew this world really existed," Rauru explained. "Up to now, all we ever heard of this world was from legends and myths. It was only yesterday that we actually had proof of its existence."

"I thought this… Princess Luna contacted you tonight," Ruto said with a frown. "How could you know before?"

"It's a bit of a long story," Zelda said. "But to cut a long story short, Link met a resident of this other world, Equestria… How she got here, that part is still uncertain. But he agreed to help this person and we helped him finding a portal leading to Equestria."

"Wait a minute, Link left on a new adventure?" Saria asked and groaned. "Typical… he visits another world and never tells me before leaving. So, you're saying he left yesterday?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes. And I haven't heard from him until last night, when I was sleeping in my bed. Princess Luna apparently has the power to speak to other people in their dreams. That's how she managed to contact me. Apparently, Link's visit in Equestria called their attention to the existence of Hyrule, and they decided to form political ties between our kingdoms. I, as the princess of Hyrule, told her that it is not up to me alone to make that decision. As the seven sages who protect Hyrule, and representatives of your respective people, I have called you here today to invite you to a summit held in Equestria, where we discuss the future of our two worlds with Princesses Celestia, Luna and Twilight Sparkle."

For a moment, the sages were too dumbstruck to say anything. Then, Darunia clapped his hands together and it sounded like a rockslide. "All right, I guess that means I should get ready to pack. You think they've got rock sirloin over there?"

* * *

"So what you're telling me is that you invited a group of seven outsiders from another realm to our castle, to discuss further negotiations between our nations, yes?"

Luna looked at the bewildered face of her older sister and nodded. "That is correct."

Celestia shook her head with indignation as she paced around the room. "Why, Luna, why? After everything I discussed with Farore, you go and do a thing like that? We wanted to keep interaction between our realms as brief as possible."

"See, sister, that is the problem. When you say 'you', you are talking about yourself and Farore. You didn't ask me for my opinion. You didn't even explain everything to me, even after I met Farore for the first time. The only thing you said was 'I need a drink' and then you vanished within your chambers."

"Wh-what did you expect me to do? I was overwhelmed by the situation, I had no idea that someone from Hyrule would appear in Equestria and that I would be forced to deal with Farore again."

"Yes, that is the second point. Farore. Remember how you told me that she's part of a triumvirate of celestial sisters? Triumvirate, meaning THREE! Meaning, she isn't the only one whose opinion should matter in this affair. And I happen to know that not all of her sisters agree with me."

"What?" Celestia looked at Luna with disbelief. "How do you know that?"

"I talked to Nayru last evening. It was very enlightening. Turns out she never was quite satisfied with the decision of closing the borders between our realms. But you, Farore and Din outvoted her. Now, I do believe I have the right to vote for myself, now that I am back. Correct?"

Celestia took a deep breath. "Yes, Luna. Yes, you have the same rights as the rest of us. And if you want, we can always reevaluate. But why do you think the results would be different?"

"Nayru is convinced that the main reason that Din voted for the closing of the borders was that she felt uneasy voting against the sole ruler of Equestria. If that is true, then the results would indeed be different."

"Okay, okay, I get it. But you went and invited the delegates of Hyrule BEFORE we even had that vote. You… you two went over our heads!"

"I did inform you, didn't I? Also, Nayru and I agree that the residents of Hyrule have a right to speak for themselves. She and her sisters made a vow not to meddle with the affairs of mortals unless they absolutely have to. She and Din agreed that the vote must be held between all the princesses of Equestria and the Seven Sages of Hyrule. So, this meeting will determine whether we will hold future relations with the people of Hyrule, or not."

Celestia frowned. "You did this on purpose. You kept this meeting a secret from Farore and me so we had no chance to object."

Luna smirked. "As the old saying goes, all is fair in love and politics. You thought I would be getting rusty while being stuck on the moon, didn't you? You should get used to the fact that there are now more of us. Oh, and one more thing: I think it would be only fair to give both Cadance and Twilight the chance to get involved in otherworldly politics, don't you agree?" With a smile, the princess of the night turned around and left the room.

Disgruntled, Celestia sat down on her rump. As much as she loved her sister, her niece and her student, she hated not being in control of a situation. "Touché, sister…" she grumbled. "Touché…"


	11. The lost City of Lunartopia

Rarity never felt this hot before in her entire life.

"My boutique!" she gasped as she lay flat on the cage's floor. "My boutique for a glass of water!"

"It's not that bad," Link said. "You get used to it. Are you always this dramatic?"

"Dramatic?" Rarity whined? "Dramatic? I went days without a proper shower, manecut or hooficure. The only meals we are given are dry bread and warm water. And worst of all: I'm surrounded by a bunch of brutes who don't show a simple sign of fashionable sense." She gestured at the stallions who were pulling the cage through the hot desert. "Just look at those rags they're wearing!"

"A thousand pardons if my men insulted your sensitive eyes with their choice of attire, miss," Caballeron said in a mocking voice. "But if you've spent as much time in the heat of the desert as me, searching for ancient relics, you learn that the proper clothing might protect you from a heat stroke."

"Easy for you to say," Rarity grumbled. "You are sitting in a palanquin, carried by your underlings, enjoying a glass of whisky."

Caballeron smirked as he took a sip. "On the rocks, too. Would you care for a gulp? But no, no, no… this is the last bottle. I wouldn't want to waste it on prisoners." He turned to face the twins, who were, once again, sitting on top of the carriage. "It's not really my business, but what do you need these ponies for? This unicorn is a real beauty… it's a shame we have to carry her all the way through the desert."

Rarity was surprised. Did the stallion, despite his rough mannerisms, still have a soft side?

"You are right, it is none of your business," Lotus said. "You want your money, don't you? Then all you have to worry about is bringing us to the meeting place at the ruins. You know the way, right?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about a thing," the former archeologist smiled. "My men and I know these dunes like the back of our hooves. And I know Ahuizotl isn't one to betray his trade partners. Still, we are in Saddle Arabia. And I have the right connections here…" He looked back at Rarity. "A mare like this could sell for a good price on the local slave market."

Rarity's gasped when hearing that. "You FIEND! Is money everything you think about?"

"Why so shocked, my dear?" Caballeron asked. "I have learned that in this world, everything can be bought with money. Don't get me wrong though, I am deeply saddened to give a beauty like you away. But business is business, and I can't just ignore a sum of bits as big as the one Ahuizotl offered me."

"Don't bother, Rarity," Link grumbled. "People like him can't be reasoned with. Can you at least tell us where you're taking us?"

"The ruins of Lunartopia," Aloe said. "The ancient city of the moon."

"City of the moon?" Rarity asked.

"Did you never wonder how Nightmare Moon managed to get to power, Miss Rarity?" Aloe asked. "Know that 1000 years ago, most of Equestria's denizens praised the sun and Celestia as the supreme goddess. However, Luna did have some loyal followers. Most of them gathered here, in Saddle Arabia, and built a city to honor her. And in the middle of this city, they erected the Moon Temple. They then named this new desert city Lunartopia. After her ascension to Nightmare Moon, they wanted to make this her seat of power, at the time she would reign over Equestria in everlasting night. However, they could not predict that Celestia would banish her sister to the moon. For the longest time, Luna's loyalists waited, hoping that one day she would return. But more and more, doubt started to spread among them. They started to abandon the temple and the city, until only the loyalest of followers remained. And in the end, they died of old age and Lunartopia became a ghost town. As the sand started to cover the ruins, the ponies started to forget about the city."

Rarity was astonished. "I never heard this before… how do you know all this?"

"Simple," Lotus said as she looked back at them with a sneer. "The first who worshipped Luna were members of our tribe… the Gerudo."

* * *

Link and Rarity had no idea how long their journey through the desert had lasted… maybe it was several hours, maybe only one. But just when they thought the unendurable trek through the sweltering heat would never end, they reached the top of a particularly high sand dune… and they were able to look down at a mesmerizing sight: Countless buildings of stone, some of them half-buried in the sand of the desert. The city was big, almost bigger than Canterlot.

"The ancient city of Lunartopia," Aloe said. "We've reached our destination."

"Ahuizotl is waiting for us in the main temple," Caballeron said. "Let's not keep him waiting, men." He pointed ahead, and the little caravan kept on moving.

The two prisoners looked up in awe as their cage was pulled through the streets of a long-forgotten era. The building walls were littered with ancient hieroglyphs and pictures. And Link recognized a couple of them… they were the same symbols he had seen inside the Spirit Temple in the Haunted Wasteland, the giant desert of Hyrule. Among them was the symbol of the Gerudo tribe: The crescent moon.

"So it's true," he said. "The Gerudo have been in Equestria before."

"Our ancestors," Aloe said in a quiet voice. She seemed to be overwhelmed by the sight of the city as well. "Long before the gods decided to separate our worlds from each other, the Gerudo were a tribe of ponies that shared these deserts with the Saddle Arabian horses. Most of Lunartopia's citizens were Gerudo. But when Nightmare Moon was banished, so were we. But instead of sending our ancestors to the moon, Celestia decided to send them to another world instead. And the closing of the borders was supposed to prevent us from ever returning."

"You knew this all along? Even when you helped Ganondorf come to power?" Link asked her.

"Yes… Most of the Gerudo never knew about this secret. Not Nabooru and not even the great Ganondorf himself. But as the Gerudo tribe's elders, we were also its lorekeepers. We alone knew about our past."

"That's enough!" Lotus shouted. "Stop telling our archenemy our deepest secrets, sister."

"It's not like it's going to change anything," Aloe muttered.

"Well, you are right," Lotus nodded. "Very soon, he will die. And then he can't tell these secrets to anyone."

Finally, they reached the middle of the city. In front of their eyes rose the tallest building of the entire city, an ancient temple with huge pillars and dome-shaped rooftops. Even when they approached the building, Rarity was able to see the tall windows and the many eyes that were glowing in the darkness inside. And then she heard the hissing.

"Wh-what is that?" she shuddered. "What are those beasts?"

"I know those sounds," Link said. "These must be Lizalfos… dozens of them. Don't tell me their ancestors are from Equestria as well…"

"Oh no," Lotus said. "Our lord brought them here from Hyrule to support our cause. Even though they are now a bit different, after passing through the portal."

When they reached the temple's enormous main gate, Link saw that the witch was right: The Lizalfos looked almost like they did back in Hyrule, only now, they had turned into four-legged lizard beasts. None of them were armed… but Link had the feeling they didn't need to be, after seeing their sharp claws and fangs.

In the middle of the entrance, flanked by two Lizalfos-beasts, one of the strangest creatures Link had ever witnessed was waiting: A blue creature that looked like a mix between a primate and a canine, with a long snout, golden jewelry and a long tail that was curiously ending in a hand.

"Ahuizotl!" Rarity gasped.

"Well, well, well," the creature said in a deep voice. "If it isn't one of the ponies who helped Daring Do in the Fortress of Talicon. It's a small world, isn't it?"

"You know him?" Link asked.

"I wish I didn't," Rarity said with a snort. "He's a brutish fiend, that's what he is. No manners at all. Unfortunately, I can't tell you much more about him, Rainbow Dash is the expert on Daring Do's adventures," she sighed.

Ahuizotl then turned to Caballeron and the twin witches. "Took you long enough. The ritual is already prepared, everything is ready. The master is getting impatient… are these the sacrifices?"

"Indeed they are," Lotus said. "Were there any complications?"

"Not at all," Ahuizotl grinned. "These minions our master so graciously offered to me were more than enough to chase off anything that might disrupt the ritual. A good replacement for my former minions, who got all thrown into jail… curse that Daring Do!" He growled. "Oh well… just take them inside already."

"Not so fast," Caballeron said. "Or have you forgotten the matter of my payment?"

"You will get what I promised you, Caballeron," Ahuizotl said with a frown. "Even though I would prefer to see you boiled in olive oil after what you pulled the last time we wanted to do business."

Caballeron chuckled nervously. "I… I assure you I had no idea that this merchant was Daring Do in disguise…"

"And yet you tried selling that golden ring I entrusted you with," Ahuizotl snarled. "But… I am a lenient creature. Today, you brought me exactly what I asked for, and so you shall be rewarded. Your money is inside, so come along."

Ahuizotl, Caballeron and the witches went ahead, while the thugs and the Lizalfos followed behind them, still pulling the cage.

"Link… if you know a way to escape this situation, this would be a perfect moment to try it," Rarity whispered.

Link sighed. "I'm sorry, Rarity. At the moment, I have no idea what to do. We are stuck in this cage and they took all my equipment. I don't even know where they put the Master Sword…"

Then they reached the ritual chamber. It was a huge, circular room with multiple doorways leading to it. In the middle, several stair were leading up to a big stone altar. A big, lit brazier was standing nearby. More Lizalfos were crawling around the whole place.

"Hurry now, place the first prisoner on top of the altar," Ahuizotl said with a voice that was dripping with uncontained excitement. "Soon enough, our master will walk this world, and in his gratitude, he will bestow upon me the greatests of gifts…"

"Not so fast!" Lotus spoke up. "We still have to wait for His Lordship."

The creature made a face of disgust. "What, that self-obsessed show-off? We don't need him. The ritual can commence without him."

"I would be careful if I were you," Aloe frowned. "His Lordship does not easily condone insults of his name."

"Please…" Ahuizotl huffed. "What can he do that we cannot?"

"Oh, I could think of several things," a voice behind him said. Surprised, Ahuizotl turned around.

Both Link and Rarity looked at this newcomer. The unicorn stallion was white, tall and thin, and could even be called handsome. But his whole posture seemed to express a disdain for everypony in the room, except for maybe the Twinrova sisters. One of his eyes was covered by his slick, white hair and a crystal earring was dangling from his right ear. "Have you ever seen this stallion before?" Rarity whispered. Link shook his head.

"Forgive me for my late arrival," the stallion said. He moved his head and legs flamboyantly as he spoke. "I had to pick up a surprise visitor for our little get-together. However, I couldn't help but overhear that SOME of you seem to think my presence here is unnessecary…" He focussed his gaze on Ahuizotl.

The creature swallowed. "Oh… you must have misheard, Ghirahim. We are all very thankful for your efforts in our plan."

"That's LORD Ghirahim, you impudent whelp!" the unicorn snapped. Ahuizotl winced under the verbal assault and quickly nodded his head.

"Of course, of course! Lord Ghirahim! Please forgive that slip of my tongue."

"Now, what is this?" Caballeron asked, amusement in his voice. "The great Ahuizotl, cowering before somepony else? And I thought I've seen everything in my life."

Ahuizotl just glared at Caballeron, but didn't say anything. Lord Ghirahim, however, coolly let his gaze sweep across the doctor and his men. "Ahuizotl… who are these vermin that infest our ritual chamber?"

"Hey, you watch yer tone when speaking to the boss!" shouted one of Caballeron's henchmen, a big and burly earth pony. "He's here to collect the money Ahuizotl owes him for his help, not to talk to a wussy fruitcake like you."

Just one look from Ghirahim's eyes, and the thug knew he made a mistake. But it was too late… one glow of the unicorn's horn summoned a floating, red gemstone. A simple gesture with his hoof, and the gem imbedded itself into the henchpony's chest. A chortled gasp, a short flail of his legs, and then his body fell to the ground, devoid of any life.

Caballeron stared at his dead henchman's body with disbelief and Rarity let out a squeak of terror.

"It's really irritating when mice think they should speak to the lion," Ghirahim said. "Ahuizotl, I am now silently counting to ten. Whenever I reach zero, I want these pests gone!"

"W-wait a second here," Caballeron said. "I came all the way out here and brought you the ponies you asked for… I demand to be compensated for this. The contract never said anything about killing my men. You better hand over a larger sum of bits, or else…"

"Caballeron, just take your money and leave at once, you fool!" Ahuizotl hissed as he threw the doctor a small pouch of money.

Caballeron looked at the pouch, then at Ahuizotl, then at Ghirahim, then back at the dead pony in front of him. His business sense told him that he had the right to demand more than this, but his common sense told him that it would be very wise to accept the offer and remove himself from this place as far as he can. "S-s-sure…" he stuttered as he picked up the pouch. "P-pleasure doing b-business with you, s-sir…" He then turned around and ran out of the room as fast as he could, half-expecting the lizard creatures or the creepy unicorn stallion to attack him as he fled. His remaining men quickly ran after him.

"Finally," Ghirahim sighed as he looked down. "Now look at this mess. Do you know how annoying it can be to remove stains from the floor? Why did you go and have me do that?"

"You… you monster!" Rarity shouted. "You just KILLED that stallion and… and now you act like none of this is your fault? In all my life, I have never seen such brutality, such arrogance, such lack of compassion for another pony's life…"

"Would you cease your annoying whining at once, little white horse?" Ghirahim winced. "Listening to you makes me glad that you are our sacrifice… which means I don't have to listen to your insufferable voice for much longer. Goodness, this world is filled to the brim with filthy equines… and now my master forced me to take on the form of such a creature. Disgusting!" He looked down at his body and grimaced.

"Lord Ghirahim," Aloe said as she and her sister gave the unicorn a short bow. "It is an honor to be in the presence of our master's personal servant. If I may ask, did the master give you further instructions as on how we should act after the ritual is complete?"

"My dear little Gerudo witch," Ghirahim chuckled. "I think it would be best if you asked him yourself. After all, he wouldn't want to miss the banishment of the first of the sages for anything in the world."

"He… he will be here?" Ahuizotl asked with both worry and hope. "He… he did remember what he offered me in exchange for my neverending loyalty… right?"

"You should know better than to question the master," Ghirahim said. "But yes, you shall get what you asked for if everything turns out as we planned: One whole country of this world for you to govern over, completely basked in unending heat, for all eternity. That were your precise words, correct?"

"An eternity of neverending, sweltering heat…" Ahuizotl started giggling like a schoolboy at the prospect. "Yeeeeeesss…"

"Also, you might be happy to hear that I actually managed to do something that will probably sweeten the whole deal for you," Ghirahim smirked. And with a flash of his horn, he made something appear out of thin air: A large sack, completely tied up, and for some reason squirming like mad.

Reaching out with his tail-hand, Ahuizotl pulled the ropes loose… and grinned like a Cheshire cat when he saw the bound and gagged form of his archrival in front of him.

"Oh no!" Rarity gasped as she recognized the pony.

"Daring Do?" Ahuizotl laughed. "My, what a pleasant surprise. I should have known you would stuck your annoying little snout in my business again. This time, I will make sure it will be the last time."

Daring Do uttered a curse, which was muffled by the gag in her mouth.

"You know, I should be upset that I had to do your job of dealing with her," Ghirahim huffed. "But I decided to be generous for once and bring you this present. Especially when I found out that she wrote a message to her allies in that backwater village… what was it called again? Ponytown?"

"It's Ponyville…" Aloe said with a frown. For some reason, his mispronunciation of her hometown of so many years annoyed her to no end.

"Wait a minute," Lotus said. "Does that mean the other element bearers will come here to save their friend? They know we're here? Why did you not prevent this?"

"Who realized that this unicorn is actually the Sage of Generosity?" Ghirahim shouted, pointing at Rarity. "Who should have realized that the rest of the element bearers had to be sages as well? Who decided to bring her here and leave the others in that town? Was it not the both of you? Well, then I have to ask: How else can we lure them into our grasp if not by letting this pegasus' letter reach them?"

Aloe and Lotus sheepishly looked at the ground. "You are right," Aloe quietly said. "Forgive us, Your Lordship."

Ghirahim nodded. "Better. Now, let us start the ritual by summoning the master…"

The witches, Ahuizotl and Ghirahim all stood around the altar and started chanting. "I have a bad feeling about this," Link muttered as he watched them.

Above the altar, a glowing swirl of dark magic appeared. And in its middle, the shadow horse's image appeared.

Ghirahim bowed his head. "Greetings, my master."

Link stared up at the shadow with disbelief. "It can't be… You? How can YOU be here? I defeated Ganondorf…"

The shadow horse laughed in its booming voice. _"Oh, did you now, Hero of Time? Yes, maybe you beat him… a puppet that was dancing on my strings the whole time. Did you honestly think this was all Ganondorf's plan? That he managed to do all of this on his own? Conquering Hyrule, invading the Sacred Realm, acquiring the Triforce of Power… he did all of that with my help."_

"I don't believe this," Link shouted. "You were just his horse, his mount… just another demon he sat on to ride into battle!"

"_Are you really comparing me to that horse you kept riding on on your silly little quest to stop us?" _The black stallion that was once Ganondorf's steed chuckled. _"How amusing… but you mortals always fail to see the big picture. I always acted like a common creature from the depth under Ganondorf's control, just like the puppet that attacked you in the Forest Temple. Did you never wonder where he got all that dark power from, the magic he used even before he got the Triforce of Power? I gave it to him. Without me, he would be nothing. Ganondorf is nothing but a hull, a means to an end, a way to get back of the bloodlines of the hero and the goddess… after he was gone, I waited patiently, in the darkness. And now, my return is imminent…"_

Ghirahim laughed. "Yes, master. Truly, all the worlds will soon see their true Demise… and now, let the ritual commence! Minions! Bring forth the first sacrifice!"

Daring Do spat out her gag. "Sorry to disappoint you, twinklehooves… but nopony's getting sacrificed on my watch." With a forceful yank of her wings, the ropes fell from her body and she jumped to her hooves.

"Get her!" Ahuizotl yelled. But before anyone could do anything, the nimble adventurer kicked over the brazier and trampled out the flames. All of the sudden, the whole room was pitch black, only lit dimly from the dark magic swirling above the altar.

One single move, and Lotus felt that the key to the cage was missing. Another quick move, and Link and Rarity heard how the cage door was opened.

"Run!" Daring Do shouted, and they gladly obeyed. Only one Lizalfos managed to step in their way with a hiss. One powerful kick of Daring's legs, and the creature was flung aside. Blinded by the sudden darkness, Link and Rarity had no other choice than to run after Daring Do's footsteps.

And then, they were gone. Ghirahim snarled as he illuminated the whole room with a bright flare from his horn. "FIND THEM!" he yelled. "FIND THEM AND BRING THEM BACK!"


	12. Seed Sisters

"2 more hours and we're in Manehattan, girls," Applejack said. "No time for sightseeing. We'll be meeting Daring Do and Coco there and then plan our next steps."

"Who are you telling this?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I know what we have to do. Do you think I would waste time with sightseeing when Rarity needs our help?"

"Well, just wanted to make sure. After all, there's this museum of aeronautics we're passing on our way to the harbor."

"Wh-why would you think I'd be interested in something like that?" Rainbow muttered.

"I knew it! Your ear was twitchin' right now!" Applejack shouted.

"Was not! Besides, what does that have to do with anything?" Rainbow shouted back.

"You always do that when yer excited. And when I just mentioned that museum, you were more excited than a fruit bat during harvest season."

"I… don't know what you're talking about," Rainbow huffed. "I know better than to let myself distracted by such… cool… airships and everything…"

I was barely paying attention to the discussion my daughter was having with her pegasus friend. I was looking out of the window, observing the Equestrian landscape as the train went by. I knew this track very well. And after all these years, not very much had changed. Still, even after spending one entire day in Ponyville, my thoughts always went back to Hyrule.

Applejack must have noticed I was brooding, as she came over to me and asked: "What's on yer mind, Mom?"

"It's… it's nothing," I said.

"You're not a very good liar. C'mon… what's bothering you?" She sat down next to me.

I sighed. There really was no point in lying to this filly, was there? "It's difficult," I finally said. "I know this is my home. I would never want to leave you or Big Mac or Apple Bloom ever again. I have friends and family here. But… I've spent so many years in Hyrule, too. And all these years, my life in Equestria seemed like a dream to me. I was just a work horse, but I still had friends there. Now I wonder, where do I truly belong? Hyrule or Equestria? Could I really live for very long in one of these worlds while giving up the other?"

"I see what ya mean," Applejack said. "I can't really say I know what it's like, having lived in two different worlds like you have. But then again, I never really try to think too much about these things. I always follow the feelings in my gut."

I raised my eyebrow and looked at her. "Your… gut?"

"My feelings, Mom. That's how I always decide what to do. I'm not a great problem solver or thinker like Twilight, and definitely not a reckless hothead like Rainbow…"

"Hey!"

She smirked. "But I know one thing. I'm happy when I know the ponies I know are happy. Family, friends, you name it. So, what you wanna do, that's really up to you. Just listen to the feeling in yer guts, Mom."

She playfully poked my ribs and I had to chuckle. "You've really grown up, Applejack. And not just in body."

She blushed. "Well, I pretty much had to. With you and Dad gone, someone had to take charge on the farm. You know Big Mac's not very good at organizing stuff. Granny's getting not any younger and Apple Bloom's too young…"

"Hey, I'm not too young!" the seat underneath me suddenly said. "I am a big pony!"

Rainbow Dash fluttered over to us. "Did you guys hear that?" The three of us looked down.

"Dangit, Apple Bloom! Why the hay did you do that?"

Rainbow blinked. "Scootaloo?"

Sheepishly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders crawled out from under my seat, Scootaloo with a nervous grin on her face. "Oh, um… hey, Rainbow Dash! Don't tell me you're going to Manehattan, too. What a coincidence!"

Rainbow facehooved. "Scoots…"

"Didn't I tell you girls to stay at home where it's safe?" I crossed my forelegs and gave them a stern look.

"Yeah, but Mom… How come you and Applejack get to go on this amazing adventure and I have to stay behind? That's not fair!"

"No buts! I'm very disappointed, young filly!" I frowned.

"Wait a second there, Mom." Applejack put a hoof on her little sister's shoulder. "Sugarcube… listen. It's not that Mom wanted to leave ya behind… she's just worried about y'all."

"But you know I can take care of myself, sis," Apple Bloom said. "You can tell her, right?"

"We can come along and help," Sweetie Belle spoke up. "I know everything there is to know about my sister. I can find her faster than any tracking dog." And as if she wanted to prove it to us, she started sniffing around on the floor of the car. It would have been adorable if the whole situation wasn't so serious.

"Apple Bloom, listen… I know you and your friends mean well, but… well… you are just little children. I can't look after you all the time and there's really not much you can do to help…"

"Sure there is!" she interrupted me, sounding very upset. "Sis, tell her how I delivered a whole cart of pie through a fire swamp, past a dangerous chimera."

"Now honey, you can't just make up stories like that…" I tried to protest.

"Actually…" Applejack raised her hoof. "She's kind of… telling the truth."

"Well, that's no reason for her to… what?" I couldn't believe my ears in that moment. "What did she do?"

"She managed to trick a full-grown chimera," Applejack said. "Completely took me by surprise, too. She hid the cart, made the beast trip over its own tail and all the while, she avoided the fire geysers."

I looked at my youngest daughter with disbelief. "You did all of that… on your own?"

"I sure did," she nodded. "So I'm not as useless as you think. And my friends can help too."

"Yeah, I even brought my scooter," Scootaloo said as she pulled her little vehicle out from under the seat. "There's nopony faster on wheels than me."

"Hate to admit it, but she's right," Rainbow nodded. "She can also pull the coolest tricks on that thing. And by the way, these squirts are not dumb or anything. They know when they're in way over their head. Right?" She winked at the fillies.

Scootaloo nodded. "Sure. We won't be in the way, promise."

"And we'll help however we can," Sweetie Belle added.

"We give you this promise as the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Apple Bloom agreed.

I still wasn't convinced. These fillies knew nothing about the dangers Link and I had been in. But then again, it's not like we were going up against Ganondorf, right? So with a heavy sigh I said: "All right, you can come with us."

The three fillies immediately started cheering, but I raised my hoof. "But when I think for one moment that the situation might be too much for the three of you to handle, I'll send you right back home and you won't complain. Do you understand?"

"Yes Mom, thanks! Yer the best!" Apple Bloom shouted as she hugged me.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," I muttered to Applejack.

"What were you going to do? Send them home on their own? You know they would have come after us at the first chance they get," Applejack said.

"Who, us?" Apple Bloom smiled. "We wouldn't dream of it."

I knew it had to be my imagination, but for a moment I could have sworn there were three little halos floating over the heads of the three smiling fillies.

* * *

"Wow!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "Manehattan is so… so…" I could see the wheels in her head turning as she tried coming up with a word.

"Big?" Scootaloo suggested.

"Yeah, that's it," Sweetie nodded. "BIG!"

"Where do we go first? I wanna see everything!" Apple Bloom shouted as she ran around in circles.

I sighed. That's what I had been afraid of. "Girls, focus! If you want to be a part of this, you can't let yourselves get distracted. All our attention needs to be turned to the mission."

"OH! The mission! I almost forgot!" Sweetie Belle gasped. "I'll try to find Rarity's scent… Lucky thing I know exactly what kind of perfume Rarity uses on Mondays."

"It's Tuesday," Apple Bloom remarked.

"I.. knew that," Sweetie insisted as she was about to go back in full tracking dog mode.

"Sugarcube, we already know where Rarity was taken," Applejack said. "The harbor."

"Well, why didn't you say so right away?" Sweetie pouted. "Now how am I supposed to get my cutie mark in… in… whatever it is those dogs do when they sniff for a person."

I rolled my eyes while Rainbow and Applejack exchanged a chuckle. "Come along now, children," I sighed as I started walking. "The harbor's this way."

The children followed close behind me, but I saw how their eyes tried to take in everything they saw. I could tell that this was their very first time in Manehattan. The huge crowd, the many cabs, the tall buildings, everything seemed to take their attention at once.

"D'ya know yer way round here, Mom?" Apple Bloom asked curiously as she scampered after me.

"Of course, honey. I was born here. Did Granny Smith never tell you?" I asked.

"Well, I know we have family here, but I didn't know it was your side of the family," she said. "Now that I mention it, it's a mighty big shame that we have no time to visit Babs…"

"Cuz?"

I stopped when I saw how Apple Bloom did the same. I wanted to urge her to hurry along, but then I saw the other earth pony filly she was staring at, maybe one or two years older than her, but still a blank flank. Wait, what did she just call her?

"Babs? Is that you?" Scootaloo shouted excitedly.

"What are you gals doing here?" Babs gasped as she ran at our small group. "If I had known you'd come to visit… why didn't you write?"

"Babs!" Apple Bloom shouted with glee as she gave her cousin a hug. "I never thought we'd run into you here. Ya see, we've got this big important mission and we're here with Rainbow Dash and my big sis and my Mom to save Rarity and my Mom's friend and…"

"Whoa, slow down there, cuz!" Babs shouted. "What did you just say? Your Mom?"

Apple Bloom nodded and pointed a hoof at me. "There she is. Isn't that great? Come over and say hello!" And she pulled the other filly towards me.

As for me, I was stunned. Of course I knew Babs Seed. However, just like Apple Bloom, my niece might not even remember what I looked like, since she was just a little foal when I was last saw her. But seeing her didn't really worry me. What worried me more was the fact that if Babs was here, so would her mother. And her mother was none other than…"

"Babs?" a loud voice shouted from down the street. "Babs Seed, what did I tell you about running off on your own? And who's that you're talking to? Haven't I tought you not to talk to strangers… wait… Apple Bloom?"

"Hiya, auntie!" Apple Bloom waved. "Surprised to see me?"

"Very surprised. What are you doing here… and Applejack… and…" The mare's eyes widened as she saw me and she went as white as a sheet. "H-holy Celestia and Luna…"

"Um… hello there… sis…" I said. I couldn't think of anything else.

My sister Clementine gave off a short sigh as her eyes rolled up into her head and she fell over.

"MOM!" Babs shouted.

"Mom, Auntie Orange fainted," Apple Bloom said.

"Oh boy," Applejack sighed. "This day just keeps getting better and better… all right, everypony, listen! Rainbow Dash, you take along Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle and meet up with Coco and Daring at the harbor. Apple Bloom, you and Mom help me getting your aunt home."

"It's not far from here," Babs said. "We live just around the corner and across the next street. Dad's not home yet, but I got the keys."

"Can't we go with Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo asked.

"Sorry, Scoots," Apple Bloom sighed. "But I guess this is once again family business."

I was very surprised at how mature Apple Bloom was handling the whole situation. Then I remembered that I should probably help picking my sister up from the ground. Together, Babs and Apple Bloom put her on my back.

"Will you guys be okay?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Applejack nodded. "We'll be fine, just say we need a bit more time to come after you. Let Coco tell you what she saw and meet us at the old lighthouse."

"Okay… see you guys later," Rainbow nodded and waved the two fillies after her. "Come on, squirts!"

Applejack helped me carrying Clementine as we followed Babs to their home. "I guess this wasn't how you imagined your reunion with Aunt Orange to be, was it, Mom?"

"No, not at all," I sighed. "But one thing I'm definitely certain of."

"And what's that?"

I grunted. "My sister sure gained a lot of weight in the years I was gone."

* * *

Clementine Orange slowly opened her eyes and saw the ceiling of her apartment, as well as the worried eyes of her daughter Babs. "Mom? Are you feeling better?"

"Oh dear… Mommy's fine, honey, she just has a terrible headache… I also had this strange dream where I saw that your aunt had risen from the dead…"

"Well… I'm not exactly dead," I said from her left.

Clementine sat up and looked at me. Her eyes widened yet again, and for a moment I was worried she'd faint again. She stared at me and opened her mouth as wide as she could. Then she closed it again. "E… Epona?"

"Yup, it's me," I said with a sheepish smirk. "Um, surprise?"

"But… but how is this possible?" She extended a hoof and poked me, always as if she was afraid I might disappear from her touch. "The meteor… I was at the funeral… I saw your gravestone…"

"That grave is empty, Aunt Orange," Applejack said. "We never found her body."

"You… what?" Her stare wandered from me to my daughter. "You never told us that! How could you not tell us something like that?"

"We thought it wasn't important," Applejack said defensively. "We all thought she was dead, too. How were we supposed to know that this meteor didn't kill her, but instead transported her to another dimension?"

"Another WHAT?" The stare was focussed back on me. And then she poked me some more. "Epona… it's… it's really you? You're back?"

"It's me, Clemmy," I said. "And yes, I'm back."

Babs then had to cover her ears as her mother let out the loudest squeal she had heard her make in her life. "EPONA! Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh it's you! It's really YOU! Epooonaaaaaaaa!" She embraced me in a grip that felt like she wanted to squeeze the life out of me and started bawling her eyes out. "I missed you sohohohoho muhuhuhuuuuuuch!"

"Um… Clemmy… it's all right… I'm not going anywhere… calm down…"

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen Auntie Orange cry like this before," Apple Bloom said. "Have you, Babs?"

Her cousin shook her head. "Never. Sure, she was a bit sad when her goldfish died, but not like this."

I felt how Clementine's body tensed up when she heard this. She quickly let go of me, visibly embarrassed. She hesitantly extended a hoof and patted me on my back. "Erm… I mean… very glad to have you back, sister." I fought back a snortle when I looked at her. Her hair was a mess and her mascara was running. It was very touching to see how much she actually cared for me, but it was also funny to see my usually prim and proper sister in such a state. I couldn't stop a smirk from appearing on my face.

"What's so funny?" she frowned.

"Your mane!" I giggled.

Clementine turned her head and looked into a mirror. She then gasped, wiped her eyes and straightened her hair as good as she could. Apple Bloom and Babs shared a chuckle.

When she was finished, she turned her attention back to me. "But Epona… where WERE you? What did you do in all those years? What happened to your cutie mark? And…" She frowned. "Why did you never think of giving your poor family a message of your whereabouts? I mean, do you have any idea how distraught Mother and Father were when they thought their elder daughter died?"

I had to grimace at that. "Mom and Dad… Were they ever interested in anything besides making me the heir of their company? Or marrying me off to rich stallions? I doubt they cried that much when they were at the funeral."

"Come to think of it, I don't actually remember seeing them at the funeral," Applejack said.

"Applejack, your grandparents are very busy ponies," Clementine said sternly. "They simply didn't have the time to come all the way to Ponyville that day. And of course they were sad, why wouldn't they? They care a lot for their family members, especially their own daughter."

"Really? Then why didn't Gramps and Gramma didn't come to my birthday last year?" Babs frowned.

"Hush, honey! The grown ponies are speaking."

Both Applejack and I gritted our teeth when we noticed how Clementine was talking to her daughter. I mean, sure I was worried for Apple Bloom and didn't want her to come along on our adventure. But she was still my daughter and I would always listen to her. I saw that my sister obviously didn't think this way and I felt sorry for Babs. At this moment, Clementine reminded me more than ever of our parents.

"Well, now you know I'm not dead," I said as I got up to my feet. "We won't be taking any more of your valuable time, sis. We have some friends to save… see ya around."

"Epona Arancia Seed!" Clementine shouted. I winced when I heard my full name for the first time after fourteen years. "That is no way to behave. I just cried tears of happiness when I found out that you were alive and you… you just walk out of the door as if you have something better to do than talking to your sister."

"Actually, I have," I said as I looked back at her. "I need to get to the harbor and find out where my friend disappeared to. A very close friend, I might add. And if I don't find him soon, he might die. Not that you were ever worried about something like that in your life."

Babs whistled. "Wow, Mom! Auntie sure told you!"

Apple Bloom grinned. "Yeah, my Mom's the best."

For a moment, Babs looked like she wanted to protest, but then she shrugged. "Can't argue with that."

"Babs Seed!" Clementine snapped. "I thought I told you to be quiet."

"See what you're doing?" I said as I turned back around to face her. "The poor girl has done nothing besides speaking her mind, and you scold her for that. Babs is still young, why don't you give the filly a bit more space?"

"Mom and giving me space? Yeah right," Babs snorted. "You're talking about the pony who got shocked when I told her I wanted to join my new school's boxing club. Ya know, to learn some self-defense…"

"We talked about that, Babs. I won't have my daughter running around like a ruffian who gets into fistfights with boys," Clementine said. "I mean honestly, what good will that do?"

"You mean besides helping me when I socked that Diamond Dog who wanted to mug me right in the kisser?" my feisty little niece asked.

"BABS!" Clementine was visibly shocked. "Stop using such language in front of your little cousin!"

Apple Bloom shrugged. "Meh, I've heard worse from Granny."

"Come on, kids. We're leaving," I said. "Let's not risk our friends' lives while my sister is worried she might faint from hearing crude language. Goodbye, Clemmy. And to answer your question where I've been these years: I've been travelling through a faraway land, fighting monsters that wanted the death of me and my friends every day. Stay here in your idyllic little world while I do something that actually helps ponies."

Not wasting another word, I walked towards the door. It opened before I could touch it.

"Honey, I'm… home?"

"Hello, Tango," I said to Tangerine Orange, my sister's husband. "Nice to see you again. Bye for now." And I walked right past him, my daughters following me.

After we left, Tango looked at his wife and daughter in confusion. "Honey, that mare just now… wasn't that…"

"Dad, you just missed how I met the coolest aunt I ever had," Babs grinned.


	13. The Captain

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were following Rainbow Dash through the streets of Manehattan.

"I can't believe I get to see Daring Do," squealed the orange pegasus filly. "The coolest aventurer ever… and she's real! And I'm gonna meet her! Um… I mean… she's still not as awesome as you are, Rainbow Dash."

"Now calm down, squirt," Rainbow smirked. "You know that she only gives her real identity to her most trusted helpers and friends. I'm telling you and your friends because you're going to come along and help, but you've got to promise not to tell anypony who she really is."

"Oh… okay, I can do that," Scootaloo nodded. "I promise I won't tell anypony."

"And all that about me being more awesome than her… I don't really think that's true," Rainbow chuckled sheepishly. "I mean, she defeated the guardians of the Lost Tomb of Zobrek all by herself… and what did I do? One lousy Sonic Rainboom…"

"It wasn't lousy!" Scootaloo protested. "It was the coolest thing ever. And you did two of them, not just one. You're as awesome as Daring Do, maybe even more."

"All right, all right, I get it," Rainbow grinned. "I'm awesome. Still, you guys have to be careful if you really want to come along."

"Sure, we can do that," Scootaloo said. "Right, Sweetie Belle?"

She looked at her friend, but the little unicorn was unusually quiet. "Hey! What's the matter, kid?" Rainbow asked.

"It's my sister," Sweetie Belle said. "Both you and Apple Bloom's mom said it's going to be dangerous. And if Rarity has been kidnapped by bad guys… what if they do anything to her? What if she's hurt? She's not a tough fighter like you or Applejack…"

Rainbow snorted. "Are you kidding me? Sure, Rare always acts all sophisticated and posh, but when it comes down to a fight, she can kick flank like the next stallion."

"Really? Rarity?" Sweetie asked with skepticism.

"Sure! She helped us fight a swarm of changelings like it was nothing. She bucked a full-grown manticore in the face. She even kicked APPLEJACK of all ponies around like a sack of… well… apples!"

"Wow, Sweetie!" Scootaloo shouted. "You have the coolest sister ever! I mean…" She glanced at Rainbow Dash. "Second-coolest."

"So… you think she's going to be fine?" Sweetie asked.

"Absolutely," Rainbow nodded. "It wouldn't surprise me if she's wiping the floor with her kidnappers at this moment."

* * *

"YEEEAAAAAAAARRRRGGH!" Rarity screamed. "I got something nasty stuck to my face. Get it off, GET IT OFF!"

"It's just a spider web," Link said. "Brush it off and keep running."

"Quick, around this corner," Daring shouted.

"I hate this place!" Rarity whined. "It's dark and dank and filthy and… Argh, I wish I had never invited you to the spa."

* * *

"She's doing fine, I'm sure of it," Rainbow said as she opened the door to a tavern. "Now come on in. This is where we're supposed to meet up with Coco and… um… you-know-who."

She had lowered her voice to a whisper. All around them were scruffy, ragged sailors, tough ponies of the sea, almost all of them tall and muscular stallions that smelled of saltwater and rum. Some of them turned their heads and looked at the three newcomers sullenly. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo pulled in their heads as they followed Rainbow Dash to the bar.

"I don't like this place," Sweetie whispered.

"Me neither," the pegasus filly whispered back.

"What are you saying, this place is cool!" Rainbow Dash grinned. She put her hoof on the counter. "Yo, barkeep! One apple cider… and juice for the kids."

The barkeeper, a one-eyed mountain of a stallion, looked at her. "Cider? Whaddya think this is, an apple farm? We've got whiskey and rum… and the little ones have to settle with water."

"Okay… then give me one mug of rum." She grinned. "I've always wanted to try that stuff."

"Oh… you're Rainbow Dash! Thank goodness, you're finally here." Rainbow turned her head and saw Coco Pommel walking up to her. The young mare looked nervous and relieved at the same time.

"Hey Coco, sup?" Rainbow said. She then moved her mouth close to Coco's ear and whispered: "Say, have you seen Dar… um, I mean… a yellow pegasus with a safari outfit around here?"

Coco's shook her head. "I can't say I have. I've been here the whole day, waiting for you. But I haven't seen a pony who fits that description."

"That's strange, she wanted to meet us here, too… Wait a minute, you're saying you've been waiting for us in here the whole day? In this tavern?"

"Yes, and I was a bit nervous around all these big… and strong… ponies, but my good friend the captain kept me company." She gestured at an older earth pony stallion who was sitting at the counter. He had a marine-blue coat, a black tail and an impressive-looking beard.

"This is Captain Paddock. He agreed to take Rarity's designs to our new client in Saddle Arabia. Captain? I'd like you to meet Miss Rainbow Dash, a friend of Miss Rarity's."

"Ahoy there!" the captain said with a smirk. "Always a pleasure ta meet a fine, winged lassie as yerself."

"Thanks… I guess," Rainbow said. "These little ones here are Rarity's sister Sweetie Belle… and MY sister Scootaloo."

Scootaloo nuzzled the older pegasus happily when she heard that.

"You're Rarity's sister?" Coco smiled down at Sweetie Belle. "She told me so much about you. But I must say, I'm surprised you are here. Didn't Rainbow Dash tell you how dangerous it's going to be?"

"But I have to help my sister," Sweetie Belle said. "If she's strong enough to deal with something like this, then so am I."

Coco's eyes widened when she heard those brave words coming from a littly filly. "But even I was afraid when I saw those dangerous kidnappers. And… to my shame, I don't think I could ever be brave enough…" She closed her eyes.

"Aww, don't sell yerself short, Coco-kins," the captain said. "I've known ye since ye were just a wee filly, and there's lots of other strengths y'have."

"S-strengths?" Coco muttered. "But… I don't think I have any strengths…"

"Blistering barnacles! If I say ye've got strenghts, ye've got strengths! Yer friendly, clever and always ready ta help yer friends. Who was it who called me right after learning her friend was in danger? Who wrote a letter to Ponyville right away?"

"I… I guess that's me," Coco said, giving the rough but kind-hearted sailor a small smile.

"That's the spirit!" Rainbow grinned. "Not all ponies can be brave right away." Once again, she moved her mouth closer to Coco's ear. "Don't tell anypony, but even I was scared when I fell off a cloud for the first time in my life."

"What did you say, Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked.

"Nothing important, kiddo."

* * *

"Eh, Mom? I mean, I know I have no right to poke my nose in whatever business you have with Aunt Orange… but d'ya think that was the right thing to say?"

"It was kinda harsh," Apple Bloom agreed.

I snorted at that. Those kids obviously never got to know what ponies were like in Manehattan. I grew up here, I had to hear it every day. "Trust me, she just got what she deserved," I said. "Making her daughter do what SHE wants… just like your grandfather. I would never do such a thing, seedling. Trust me."

My daughters exchanged a look, but didn't say anything. Maybe they finally realized I was telling the truth. Sure, I was harsh, but rightfully so. Just hearing Clementine had made me so mad… I couldn't wait to leave this city behind me once again.

Together, we entered the tavern and saw Rainbow Dash and the other fillies sitting at the bar, talking to a young mare and a bearded stallion. But there was no Daring Do around.

"There you all are," I said. "But where's Daring Do?"

"Ssssshhhh, not so loud!" Rainbow Dash frantically waved her hooves through the air. "Do you want everypony to know about her secret?" she hissed as we came closer. "And no, I have no idea where she is."

"Well, we don't have much time to wait for her," Applejack said. "Coco, you saw how Rarity was brought on a boat, right? Is that boat still in the harbor?"

The mare shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. But… I do know where it's headed. Captain Paddock asked around and found out something interesting."

"Aye, that I did. That Caballeron fella, I heard he has business to do in Saddle Arabia. And from the looks of it, he's planning to find some treasure in the desert. Well, at least that's what the rumors say."

"So, now we know where they are taking them," Applejack said. "But how do we go after them?"

"Wait, Captain Paddock has a ship. Maybe he can take us," Scootaloo suggested.

I frowned. "I don't know… I don't want to drag yet another pony into this mess."

The captain laughed. "Are ye kidding, lass? I'd do anything for the friends of Coco-kins here. Also, it's been some time since this old sailor saw some action… time to clean the barnacles off old Mary Lou and set sail!"

"Mary Lou?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Coco giggled. "That's the name of his ship."

"Finest vessel the seven seas have ever seen!" the old sailor proclaimed proudly. "So, whaddya say?"

"Well, I say we take this chance and go for it," Rainbow Dash said. "You can take us to Saddle Arabia quickly, right?"

"Lassie, I can get ye there faster than ye can say 'Ten thousand thundering typhoons'. You all just need to help me on board as a crew."

I sighed. "Fine. You all go and prepare the ship to leave. I'll go and buy some supplies for the trip."

"What, right now?" Rainbow asked. "But I barely touched my rum."

"Come on, Rainbow," Applejack chuckled. "There will be plenty of chances for you to taste rum after Rarity is saved."

"I'll see you girls in a bit," I said and left the tavern. From my days back in Manehattan, I knew there was a store nearby that sold just what we needed for the trip. Just because Link wasn't around didn't mean I couldn't handle myself. Back in Hyrule, I had the mind of a common beast of burden. But here in Equestria, I could finally be an equal, an adventurer just like him.

But before I reached the store, I saw something that worsened my mood immediately: My sister came running down the street, towards me.

"Epona!" she shouted. "Please, listen to me... I need to tell you something."

I glared at her. "What? That leaving on my own is scandalous behavior? Because that's what Dad would say."

She stopped and extended a shaking hoof in my direction. "No, I… I just wanted to say I'm sorry. You're right, I have no idea what you went through. And I have no right to stop you if you want to save a friend. I can't imagine what it must be to live a life like that. But you've been away for so many years and I…" I was surprised to see actual tears in her eyes. "I missed you terribly. And now you say you want to leave again for some dangerous quest, and I'm afraid I could lose you again… maybe for another ten years, maybe forever. But still, it's not up to me to stop you from what you think is right. I just…"

I was shocked when she suddenly threw herself at me in a massive hug. "I don't want you to leave and… and the last thing we did was… arguing." She sobbed. "You're my sister…"

"Clemmy…" I muttered. "Are you… serious? I mean, back at your house you said…"

"I know what I said," she cried. "And I hate myself for it. I hate myself for being so weak and cowardly. Everything that all ponies ever saw in me was what they saw in our parents. Oh sure, I was the rich daughter of the rich stallion and was married to another rich stallion… Yes, we have it sooo easy because we're successful and have money and…" She sniffled. "Everypony always expects me to be perfect and prim and proper. I don't even know how to properly raise my own daughter. I didn't even notice she was bullied at school until I received Applejack's letter. I always envied you… you were so assertive, so independent. You managed to say your opinion and did what you wanted. You found family, happiness and a place you could really call home. And what did I have to offer to my family? A bank account full of bits and a well-behaved manner."

I couldn't believe my ears. "Sis… I had no idea… have you always felt so horrible here?"

"Don't get me wrong, I love my husband and my daughter. But I never accomplished anything on my own. Everything I own is because of my parents and I… I don't know if I want it." She looked up to me. "I had hoped that one day, you and I could maybe start anew, from the beginning. But I never found the courage. And then you were gone and it was too late! I never forgave myself for not talking to you earlier. But suddenly, you're back… and I almost made the same dumb decision as before. I fell back into the same stupid pattern as I always did, and what did I accomplish? I drove you away, again!" Her shoulders shook as she buried her head in my chest. "I'm so dumb…"

"Clemmy…" I said softly and gently pushed her head up. "You are not dumb. And you don't have to be sorry. I'm the one who should be sorry. All those things I said back at your place… I said them because I always thought you were just like Mom and Dad. I was so mad at them that I never really imagined you might think differently. I never really talked to you since I left Manehattan. And now that I'm here, the only thing I do is to lecture you about being a good mother… while I couldn't even be one for the past ten years. Babs at least had a mother. Big Mac and AJ and Bloom had to take care of themselves…" I couldn't stop myself from crying as well. "I'm a horrible mother…"

Clementine gasped. "Don't say that! You are a wonderful mother. Why do you think your children turned out so wonderful?"

That sentence alone gave me warm feelings inside of me. "You… think my children are wonderful?"

She nodded. "Of course. Big Macintosh is the most polite stallion I've ever met, Babs absolutely adores her little cousin, and Applejack… it's just admirable how she managed to stay on top of everything. Did you know she got her cutie mark after a visit here in Manehattan?"

"She did?" I asked in surprise.

"Oh yes, but only after realizing that city life wasn't the thing for her," Clemmy smiled. "And when she told me she wanted to go back home to her family… how could I say no to that? So I brought her to the station right away… the very same station you once used to leave for Ponyville yourself. And she went back home to be a farm pony"

"I didn't know that…" I muttered. "I need to talk to her about this. I'm so sorry, Clemmy. I feel like such a foal right now."

"Don't be, you were just angry. And, to be honest… maybe I reacted a bit harsh towards Babs, too. In an unsafe neighborhood like ours, maybe it's not so bad that she learned how to defend herself. I'm actually a bit proud of her." She hugged me again and this time, I returned the hug right away. "I'm proud of you as well, you know? I still don't quite understand what happened or what you lived through while you were gone… but I understand you must have become quite the brave adventurer, if you're so eager to jump into danger, just to save your friend. You have to tell me everything at some point… but right now, you're in a hurry, right?"

"R-right," I nodded. I almost forgot that the others were waiting for me. "I guess I better get going. I'll be back, though. Don't you worry, Clemmy… and again, I'm sorry."

She smiled. "I know. Just watch yourself out there, okay?"

"I will." We waved at each other and then, we parted ways. She went back to her apartment, while I entered the shop called 'Morshu's Bargains'.

"Hello," I told the chubby shopkeeper. "I need some supplies for a journey. Do you sell lamp oil, rope, maybe bombs?"

* * *

After a long time of running, Daring Do dashed into small, empy chamber and stopped. Link and Rarity followed her. While Rarity took this opportunity to take a couple of well-deserved deep breaths, the two adventurers pressed their bodies against the wall on both sides of the door and peeked into the corridor.

"Looks like the coast is clear," Daring said. "For now."

Link nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Lizalfos can be quite persistent. But I've never had to deal with that many at once."

"You've seen these reptiles before?" the pegasus asked. "Strange. I've tangled with giant cobras, cragadiles, Quetzalcoatls and the occasional hydra, but I've never seen anything like this. They seemed… intelligent. And as far as I know, the only intelligent reptiles are dragons and sea serpents."

"They're from Hyrule, my home country," Link said. "And I must say, I haven't seen most of the things you just mentioned either."

"You must be Link." For the first time, she took a closer look at him. "I'm Daring Do. Rainbow Dash told me about you, and about what happened at the Ponyville spa."

"Wait, you talked with Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked. "She knows what happened?"

Daring nodded. "She and her other friends figured something bad must have happened after you two went missing. And when they went to investigate, they ran into a pile of skeletons that wanted to kill them."

"Great Celestia!" Rarity gasped.

Link just frowned. "Stalfos. Just great. What kind of other monsters did they bring from Hyrule? Are they okay?"

"Yeah, they managed to beat them. Doesn't surprise me that much, to be honest. After all, they were capable of dealing with Ahuizotl's henchmen the last time we met. You and your friends sure are something," Daring told Rarity.

Feeling a bit flattered, Rarity had to smile. "Thank you. But I try to do my best not to resolve to such brutish acts unless absolutely necessary."

"Well yeah, an adventurer's life is full with such necessities," Daring shrugged.

"Tell me about it," Link said. "So, how did you get captured?"

She grimaced. "I was careless. In Manehattan, I wanted to write another letter to Dash, but I didn't expect to be assaulted there. Especially not by a teleporting unicorn who loves to hear himself speak and throw magic gems around. But while I was stuck in that sack, I actually managed to slowly wiggle free from my bounds. A little trick I picked up over the years of my travels. That's how I was able to escape."

"Nice!" Link said. "I have to learn how to do that, too."

"I also managed to snag this bag from one of the two witches," Daring said, throwing it to the green-capped stallion. "This one's yours, I assume?"

"Yeah, that's mine. Awesome job! But…" He looked around. "I suppose you haven't brought my sword and shield as well, have you?"

Daring Do shook her head. "No, that was all. I didn't see either of these things. I don't really think I could have carried stuff like that with me, the way we escaped. How does an earth pony use such weapons in the first place? I always thought unicorns are the ones that perfected the handling of such weapons, with their magic."

"Umm… to be honest, I haven't got the slightest clue. Well, at least the rest of my stuff is here. Lemme check if everything's still in there." He opened the bag and pulled out several items, one after another. "Bottles… bombs… bow and arrow… hookshot… boomerang… Megaton Hammer…"

Rarity and Daring could only blink in bewilderment. "How… in Equestria… did you get all those things in there?" Rarity finally managed to blurt out.

"What? Oh, I have a special bag," Link grinned. "I honestly don't even think about it anymore. I just put everything I find inside. Oh well, I guess I just have to fight with the hammer for now." He put most of the items back inside the bag and reached for the hammer's handle, trying to pick it up with his hooves.

"Hmmm, that doesn't work… maybe with the mouth?" He took the handle with his mouth and swung it around a couple of times. Satisfied, he nodded.

"Amazing!" Daring whistled. "Then again, earth ponies are known for their strength. All I need are my hooves and my whip." She lifted one of her wings, revealing the rope-like weapon attached to her belt. "That posing idiot didn't even think of disarming me."

Rarity cleared her throat. "That is all fine and well, but what do we do now? We are several thousand miles from home, we are being chased by ruffians and we don't know the first thing about this place."

"Ah, but that's where you are wrong," Daring said. "I've actually been here before – you can read about it in my seventh book – and I have a map of this temple."

"Nice job," Link said. "Did you also find the compass?"

"Huh? What?" The pegasus looked at him in confusion. "No, I don't have a compass."

"Ah, too bad. Then we don't know where to find the treasure chests or the boss."

"Link, I think we can all agree that we don't want to go back to the leader of these creatures," Rarity frowned. "We've all seen how unpleasant he can be. And that is putting it mildly. I still wonder what it is they want of me…" She shook her head. "All this talk of sages and sacrifices…"

"Well, in Hyrule, there are the seven sages," Link explained. "They guard the barrier to the Golden Realm and act as Hyrule's protectors, in addition to the hero… that would be yours truly." He grinned. "We have the Sage of Water, Fire, Forest, Spirits, Light, Shadows and Time. I don't really know anything about the sages of Equestria, but they did call you a Sage of… Generosity, as far as I remember."

"I am the holder of the Element of Generosity," Rarity said. "Well, I used to be, until we had to give them to the Tree of Harmony… But I've never considered me to be a… a sage."

"Now that is interesting," Daring Do muttered. "I see a connection here. Link, you said there are seven sages in your country, correct? And in Equestria, we have the six Elements of Harmony: Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Kindness and Magic. It wouldn't surprise me if there are actually six sages in Equestria. Or at least that's what Ahuizotl and his buddies believe. Let's say it is true and Rarity is the Sage of Generosity… then I would bet my hat that the other element bearers are the remaining sages."

"And who are these… element bearers?" Link asked.

"My friends," Rarity smiled. "Besides me, we have Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Applejack."

"Epona's daughter is a sage in this world?" Link sighed. "Why am I not surprised by these things anymore?"

"Excuse me, did you say… daughter?" Rarity asked.

"Nevermind, it's a long story," Link said. "And all these theories don't really help us to escape this place. Listen… Daring. Does your map say which way we have to go to get out of here?"

"Sure. But it looks like we have to avoid some traps… and that other passage here leads right back into the ritual chamber. So this only leaves us with that corridor over there."

Link nodded. "Sounds good. You go ahead… this is your world, after all. As a dungeon explorer, I'm just a guest." He smirked.

Daring smirked back. "Fair enough. Let's go."


	14. Meeting her Goddess

"This is unacceptable!" Ghirahim roared as he paced through the altar chamber. "You had the sacrifices. They were here. We could have finished the ritual and the master would walk this plane of existance. The hero's bloodline would be severed. YOU would have had your revenge!" He pointed at the witches.

"The ritual would already be finished if you hadn't insisted on holding your monologue," Lotus replied, the irritation she felt towards the demon lord clearly visible on her face for once. Aloe gasped at her sister's boldness.

"SILENCE!" Ghirahim roared. "You were the ones who came crawling at my feet as soon as you remembered your true selves. You were the ones who pleaded for silly revenge, revenge for a king who is long gone. And I offered. I offered to make all your wishes and dreams come true, if you agreed to help me revive the true master. And all I ever wanted, the ONE little thing I asked of you was to find the seven sages of this realm, as it is their magic alone that stops my master from returning… that, and the accursed blade's power."

"At least we found the first of the sages, AND the hero," Aloe said.

"That is not enough!" Ghirahim shouted. "We need ALL of the sages, and you let one of them go, together with the pesky hero."

"Excuse me, Your Lordship," Lotus said, putting all her scorn into the title. "But the one who let them escape was the adventurer pony YOU decided to bring along."

"How dare you?" Ghirahim bellowed as he stood as tall as he could manage. "Your king got his power from my master and you got your powers from him. And now, you are not even at your fullest power, recovering from your reincarnation as a pair of pathetic, colorful horses. And you dare questioning me? ME, the personal servant of Demise? The one sword that he carries in his hand? I should strike you down where you stand for your insolence!"

In the meantime, Ahuizotl was making himself as small as possible in one corner of the room. It was humiliating for the proud master schemer, but he realized that the forces he decided to ally with may be over his head. However, if a little humiliation meant he could finally reach his goals without having to fear the interference of Daring Do, then he was willing to put up with it a little longer.

Ghirahim's eyes were gleaming a crimson red as he glared down at the two pony witches. Aloe and Lotus stood together and returned the glare, both defiantly and a little nervous. They knew that the demon lord was much more powerful than both of them combined at this point, but they knew he needed them. Ghirahim liked to shout and yell a lot if things didn't go his way, but he wasn't stupid. The very reason he agreed to ally himself with the witches was that he needed their knowledge of the ancient Gerudo rituals that were necessary if they wanted to perform the ritual at this place.

"Leave," he finally hissed. "Leave and don't come back without them."

Not saying another word, the twins turned around and left the room. They didn't dare to disobey a direct order, but they didn't give him the satisfaction of addressing him with his title anymore, either.

"You go as well," Ghirahim told Ahuizotl. "Take command of as many Lizalfos, Armos and Stalfos as you need, but bring me those sacrifices!"

"O… of course, Lord Ghirahim!" Ahuizotl bowed and quickly ran to carry out the order.

* * *

"Oooooh, what do I do? What do I do? Do you think I should have brought one of my dresses? Why did Rarity have to get herself kidnapped on a day like this, I could have used her expertise. Does the crown shine enough? Or do princesses from other countries even care about that? I wish I could have studied more about her culture, her customs, but I had absolutely nothing to work with."

Twilight continued to mutter to herself as she, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie walked the roads of Canterlot, approaching the royal castle. Navi was once again sitting on Fluttershy's head.

"Twilight, calm down," Fluttershy said. "I'm sure Princess Zelda is a very nice person."

"She is," Navi nodded. "I've met her several times and you have nothing to worry about. Besides, aren't you a princess as well? Doesn't that put you two on the same level?"

"Do you have any idea how royal etiquette works?" Twilight almost screeched. "Other nobles EXPECT you to be familiar with their manners and speech… I'm gonna mess something up, I just know it."

"Twilight, you're being silly again," Pinkie chuckled. "Try to smile, we're meeting new friends from another world… I'm so excited! I wonder if this other princess likes parties."

Forcing herself to be calm, Twilight took a deep breath. "You are right, maybe I am worrying too much. Maybe this won't be too bad… after all, Cadance will be here, too." She couldn't help but smile. After Cadance's last visit to Ponyville was somewhat distracted by the sudden appearance of Discord, Twilight was looking forward to seeing her again. "Thanks for coming along, you guys," she said.

"Oh, it's no problem," Fluttershy smiled. "I mean, it's not like we've got anything better to do… all we did was sitting around in my house, being scared, while our brave friends are on their way to rescue Rarity…"

"You stop that right now," Twilight frowned. "You saw dead ponies that were brought to life by dark magic, you had every right to be scared."

"Well, Applejack and Rainbow Dash sure weren't," Pinkie pointed out.

"Not helping, Pinkie," Twilight sighed. "What I mean is… every pony can help in her own way. Rainbow and Applejack help to rescue Rarity, while you two help me welcoming our visitors. That's important, too."

"I guess… but what if the others need our help?" Fluttershy asked.

"I wouldn't worry too much," Navi smiled. "Epona is with them, after all. They'll be fine, I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, let's think of the more important things right now," Pinkie agreed. "Like, what kind of ponies are out visitors? I love meeting new ponies and finding out just what I can do to make them smile. Should I organize a dance? Plan an evening banquet? Invite them to go bowling? Or just throw a regular, run-of-the-mill party?"

Twilight had to snicker at her friend's antics. "I'm sure anything you decide on will be wonderful. Just try not to intimidate them too much. The first impression is always the most important one."

When they reached the castle, the princesses welcomed them in the entrance hall. Twilight's heart jumped with joy when she saw Cadance standing in-between Celestia and Luna. While Fluttershy and Pinkie respectfully bowed in front of the princesses, Twilight ran up to greet her former foalsitter, current sister-in-law and fellow princess.

Cadance seemed to be just as happy to see her. "Twilight, it's been a while," she smiled. "How are you doing?"

"A bit nervous, to be honest," Twilight said. "This is the first time I'm welcoming delegates not just from another kingdom, but also another world. I wish I had the chance to study their country before meeting them."

"Our world will be as new and unfamiliar to them as theirs will be to us," Luna said. "I am sure it will be a most enlightening experience for all of us."

Celestia frowned. "I truly wish I didn't have to involve both of you in interdimensional affairs," she said, addressing Cadance and Twilight. "Even for Luna, this is something new. And the weight of your crowns is something both of you still need to get used to."

Twilight looked at her mentor with worry. Did Celestia really think she wasn't ready for this? Did she doubt her abilities as a princess? Then why did she invite her in the first place?

"Come on now, auntie," Cadance said. "Leading the Crystal Empire is something I've done for a while now. As for Twilight, I've known her better than any of you, and I can tell she is ready for this."

Twilight looked at Cadance with gratitude. The few words she had said were enough to stifle the feelings of doubt that had erupted in her. Gathering whatever confidence she found in herself, she stood proud and tall in front of her teacher and explaimed: "As a princess of Equestria, I will do whatever will be necessary to ensure our guests will feel honored and welcomed."

Celestia wanted to point out that the few weeks after Twilight's coronation and the few years after Cadance's coronation could not be compared with the eons of experience she had. Still, leaving them out of this would be unfair to them and the delegates from Hyrule. They expected to meet all of the rulers of Equestria, and from a governing standpoint, they were equals. So she reluctantly nodded.

"Very well. Let us prepare for their arrival. Little fae, if I may have a few words…"

"Y-yes, Your Highness?" Navi nervously fluttered up into the air and bowed in front of the princess.

"No need to be nervous, little one," Celestia smiled. "I would like to ask for your assistance. From what we know, our visitors will be Princess Zelda and the 'sages'. Could you please tell us what you know about them?"

"Oh, that is all?" Navi asked. "Certainly. Well, the princess is the most important one, but there are six more. First of all we have her personal handmaiden, Impa…"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the dimensional barrier…

"Is everyone ready?" Impa asked. "Where is Saria?"

"Wait, wait. I'm coming," the child-sized forest sage shouted as she came running in, carrying a small backpack. "I just had to pack a couple of things I wanted to give to Link. Some things I'm not sure they have over there in that other world. Deku Sticks, Deku Nuts, some of his favorite blueberry muffins…"

Zelda had to smile at that. The Kokiri's caring attitude for her friend was too adorable and sweet. "I think he'll be enjoying it."

Ruto huffed. "Well, if I had known we would go to a different world and meet Link, I would have packed something for him, too. I have this new recipe with Hylian Loach, seaweed and chu jelly…"

"My friends, if I could have your attention," Rauru said as he entered the room, holding a pile of parchments. "I just realized something very important. According to my notes, our kinds of species are not native to Equestria, which means we might startle them with our unusual appearances."

"Unusual?" Darunia frowned as he scratched his rocky shoulders. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that there are barely any two-legged creatures native to Equestria. I would advise that we, in order to not unsettle them, should change our appearances to something more… suitable."

"It would also be a sign of respect towards our generous hosts," Zelda said. "We can use our sage powers to adapt to the world of Equestria."

"That means we're going to walk around on all fours?" Nabooru asked with a frown. "That's going to be weird. But I guess I can get used to it, at least for this one visit."

"Splendid, then it is settled," Rauru smiled. "Now then, off to an adventure!" He rubbed his palms together. "You know, this is very exciting. I feel 20 years younger. Let me summon our fairy guide… wait a second…" He turned around. "I just remembered… we don't have the Ocarina of Time anymore… how are we going to play the Ballad of the Breezies?"

"No worries, I brought my own ocarina," Saria said as she produced her instrument. "I can play it, no problem."

"Ah, that's a relief. Thank you, my dear. Now, play these notes…"

Saria raised her fairy ocarina to her lips and played the Ballad of the Breezies. Not too long after this, another fairy emerged from the portal.

"All right, all right. I'm here, I'm here. It's not like I wanted to take that break or anything. Sure, go ahead and bother me. I know I shouldn't have taken this part-time job. But does Tael raise his lazy little bum for once? Noooooo, of course not, it's all up to stupid little Tatl…"

Everyone was taken aback by the yellow fairy's little outburst. Rauru then cleared his throat and said: "Well, yes, thank you for generously offering your help, fairy Tatl. We, the sages of Hyrule, would like to be escorted to the land of Equestria."

She shrugged. "Sure, whatever. As long as we get this over with and I can get my paycheck. Please step into the portal and keep your arms and hands to yourselves. No food, drinks and pictures allowed aboard Tatl Travels. Have a nice trip."

They followed the fairy through the portals and the fae realm. Before reaching the gateway to Equestria, Zelda reminded them all to invoke their transfiguration spells. "As soon as we set foot on Equestrian ground, we will be changed," she explained. "It will probably take us some time getting used to these new forms, but I suppose it won't be too difficult. And as soon as we return to Hyrule, we will be back to normal."

"Oh, too bad," Ruto said sarcastically. "Because I was soooo looking forward to coming back to Zora's Domain on four legs."

"Are you done with the chatting?" Tatl grumbled. "Because I haven't got all day. Get on with it, will ya?"

"Sheesh, she sure is one grumpy little fairy," Saria muttered.

"Do you want me to tell you about the bad day I had, toots?" Tatl shouted. "You want me to tell you that I fell out of bed, was pranked by my brother, almost got eaten by a bird on my way to work and on top of everything, had to listen to a tirade from my boss? No? Then get on with the program!"

Not daring to say anything else, Saria just kept quiet and called upon her powers as Sage of the Forest. She felt the magic coursing through her eternally young body and took a step forwards, through the portal. She felt herself change shape as she moved, her face grew into a muzzle, her ears wandered on top of her head while growing bigger, a tail grew out of her behind, her whole body got covered with a fine coat of fur, and in the end, she fell to all fours as her hands and feet reshaped themselves into hooves.

Saria looked back at herself and saw the form of a small pony filly with a light green coat and dark green mane and tail. On her flank, she carried the emblem of the Forest Medallion. Behind her, she saw how the other sages in their new forms stepped through the portal. She saw a sleek, brown mare with a fiery red mane, that was probably Nabooru. A portly male unicorn stood next to the more athletic form of a female pony, those were Rauru and Impa. A couple of more unusual creatures then emerged: A colossal buffalo whose body looked like it was composed of rocks and an elegant pony with blue scales and fins attached to her limbs. Saria instantly recognized Darunia and Ruto. And finally, Princess Zelda appeared. Unlike the others, she had both a horn and a pair of majestic wings. Except for Darunia, she was easily the tallest among them.

Saria then took a look around and realized they were standing in another castle, the second one she had ever seen in her life. She wanted to take a closer look at the ponies that were standing in front of them… but then, the whole group got hit by a shower of streamers and confetti.

"SURPRISE!" a very loud, high-pitched voice shouted. Then, a bright pink wagon with waving flags and blaring trumpets came rolling in front of them while the voice started singing:

"Welcome, welcome, welcome! A fine welcome to you. Welcome, welcome, welcome, I say how do you do? Welcome, welcome, welcome, I say hip hip hooray! Welcome, welcome welcome to Equestria today!"

And then another shower of confetti hit them.

Twilight groaned and facehooved. "Pinkie… I told you we didn't want to intimidate them."

"I know that, Twilight. If I wanted to intimidate them, I would have worn my Nightmare Night costume."

"The chicken costume?" Luna asked.

Pinkie shook her head. "Nope, the Ursa Major costume."

Tatl groaned as she plucked a streamer from her body. "Great… just great… as if my day couldn't get any better…"

"See?" Pinkie cheered. "I KNEW they'd like it."

A round of chuckles arose among Equestrians and Hyruleans. After the guests managed to clean themselves of most of the confetti, Zelda stepped forth and courteously bowed in front of the other princesses. "Greetings. I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule and I thank you for generously inviting us to your kingdom, Your Highnesses."

Celestia and Luna returned the bow, quickly followed by Cadance and Twilight. "Well met, princess. I am Princess Celestia, and these are my fellow princesses Mi Amore Cadenza, Twilight Sparkle and my sister, Princess Luna. As the rulers of Equestria, we welcome you to our world and kingdom."

Zelda was about to introduce her companions to them, when she heard a loud gasp. She turned around and saw that Nabooru's eyes were wide open and she shivered like she had seen a ghost. Her hoof was pointed at Princess Luna.

"Nabooru, what is it?" Zelda asked with a frown. "Please, get a hold of yourself."

Pinkie Pie looked back and forth between the Gerudo and the princess of the night. "Have you two met before?"

"Considering that I spent a thousand years on the moon, that is very unlikely, Pinkie Pie," Luna frowned."But her markings do seem familiar…"

Nabooru then threw herself to the ground and lowered her head as low as she could. "G-great goddess of the moon!" she stuttered. "Th-this unworthy one is so honored to be in your presence!"

Ruto watched Nabooru for a moment, then shook her head. "I think it finally happened. Nabooru has gone completely insane. Must have been that brainwashing from those two witches."

Luna approached the cowering pony and asked gently: "Pray tell, are you perchance… a Gerudo?"

Nabooru gasped as she looked up at her. "H-how could you know?"

"Sister… please explain," Celestia gently said. "How could you know the tribe this female belongs to?"

Luna didn't reply at once. Instead, she touched Nabooru's hoof with her own. The desert woman recoiled from her touch. "Have no fear. Tell me, what is your name?"

"N… nabooru," she whispered. "Sage of Spirits…"

"Well met then, Nabooru," Luna smiled. "It has been some time since I've seen one of the desert children who once stood at my side."

"Wha… what do you mean?" Nabooru stuttered.

Luna looked back at her sister. "She is a Gerudo. One of the tribes that worshipped and loved my night, in addition to those ponies that would become my Night Guard. I thought them to be extinct."

"But that cannot be," Zelda interfered. "The Gerudo are a tribe of female humans that dwell in the desert region of Hyrule. They are not ponies… she just assumed this form while visiting Equestria. As did all of us."

Luna looked directly into her sister's eyes. "Tell me, sister. In Ancient Equestrian, what are the words that translate to 'Gerudo'?"

Celestia lowered her head with a sigh. "It means… desert pony."

"What?" Nabooru gasped. "No… no, it's just a name. A name of our tribe. We've always lived in Hyrule…"

"Auntie… do you know anything about this?" Cadance asked softly.

Celestia wanted to protest. She knew she could try and find some other excuse. To cover everything up beneath a carpet of lies. She looked up to meet the stare of her sister. No. She wouldn't lie anymore.

"It is true," she finally said. "The Gerudo used to be a tribe of ponies from Saddle Arabia. They were devote followers of my sister… even after her change into Nightmare Moon. I had no other choice but to banish them from Equestria, to another world. What happened to them afterwards, I do not know."

Luna gritted her teeth. "You… you knew they were there and you never told me? I thought… maybe they simply forgot about me…"

"We never forgot," Nabooru said quietly. "We worshipped the great goddess of the moon, above everything else. She was more important than either Din, Farore or Nayru. Her ways were the teachings of the night." She lowered her head. "I won't sugarcoat it… we're a tribe of thieves. Quick on our feet, silent in the night. But I never figured she'd be real… a real person in another world… of ponies…"

Luna closed her eyes. "The Night Guard were my protectors. The Gerudo were my spies and scouts. And when I fell victim to my madness, they stayed loyal. You punished them for following one of our six virtues, Celestia. How could you?" She turned around and fled the room.

"Princess Luna!" Twilight shouted, but Celestia held her back.

"Leave her be for now, Twilight," she said. "She has a lot to think about. And we can't forget our hospitality." She turned to face her guests. "I suggest we adjourn the meeting until all involved are feeling better."

After taking a look at the still shivering Nabooru, Zelda nodded. "I agree. Could I ask for some accomodations for me and my followers?"

Celestia nodded. "Of course. The guest tower is this way."

"I'll show them," Cadance offered. "Please, follow me." The kindhearted princess helped Nabooru to her feet and lead her and the others out of the room.

Twilight, Fluttershy and Pinkie were baffled from what they just heard. "Celestia… is this true?" Twilight asked. She felt uneasy. "Did you really…?"

"Twilight… I want you to know that while I always strive for an Equestria where everypony is treated equally and just, I do make mistakes. Banishing the desert ponies was one of such mistakes." She lowered her head. "The ponies of Equestria always look up to me… but I am in no way perfect. I didn't tell Luna about my decision to banish her followers because I didn't want to burden her with anything else that reminded her of her dark past. It was difficult enough for her to come to terms with what she did. And while I am not proud of my decision, I did it for the safety of Equestria. Do you now see why I was against the opening of the world border? I wanted to protect my sister from her past."

She turned away from them. "Feel free to stay within the castle as long as you wish. Maybe show our guests a bit of our world before we begin our meeting. I need some time alone. There are a lot of things I have to think about." She slowly walked away.

"Does that mean… no party?" Pinkie asked disappointedly.


	15. Tentacle Terror

"Please, make yourselves at home. And if you need anything, feel free to call on a servant or maid. They will be at your service," Cadance said as she showed Princess Zelda to her room.

"Thank you," Zelda smiled as she looked around the luxurious guest room. "By the gods, this looks beautiful. And everything is almost like back at home. How fascinating that everything you have, every piece of furniture and fitment looks like it could have been made in Hyrule."

"Are we really that different?" Cadance asked.

"Well, I'd say yes… I mean, you are beings that walk on four legs, unlike us…" She let out a small gasp when she realized what she said. "Oh, please forgive me… I didn't mean it as an insult."

Cadance let out a small laugh. "It's quite alright. And I must admit, I was a bit shocked as well when Aunt Celestia first told us that the delegates we were about to meet were from a kingdom of two-legged creatures. But when I got used to the thought, I was getting excited to meet you. I was kind of surprised, though, when I saw that you decided to take on Equestrian forms."

"It only seemed fitting," Zelda said. "I figured the best way to adapt to your country and your way of life would be by adapting our own bodies. Also, I didn't really know if your castle was equipped with furniture and bedding fit for a non-Equestrian body."

"That's actually a good point, I certainly didn't think of that," Cadance nodded. "Even though I think your rocky companion will need an exceptionally sturdy, super-sized bed."

Zelda smiled in amusement. "Yes, we have the same problem at my own castle back at home. Gorons really have some trouble sleeping in Hylian beds. I know of a case when one Goron wanted to stay at an inn in Castle Town, and the next morning, not only did he have to pay for the night, but for the bed itself. It just collapsed under his weight."

The two princesses shared a good chuckle and kept on conversing for a while. Zelda quickly realized that she had a lot in common with the princess of the Crystal Empire. They didn't know each other well enough that they could call each other friends, but Zelda was certain that she could, given some time, create a bond with Cadance that would be stronger than any political ties Hyrule and Equestria could have with each other. She now wished more than ever that the negotiations would turn out positive.

"And when he came back from the scouting mission, he had to recover from a terrible cold," Cadance just said. "That's when my husband realized that ruling over an empire situated in the frozen wastes of the north does have its disadvantages."

"The poor thing," Zelda said. "But I'm sure you nursed him back to health, didn't you?"

"Oh, you bet I did," Cadance smiled. "Caring for my dear Shining Armor is one of my favorite pastimes."

"It must be wonderful, being married to such a wonderful man… or stallion, in your case," Zelda sighed.

"What about you?" Cadance asked curiously. "Is there anypony in your life you have a liking to?"

"Oh, I don't really…" Zelda stammered, blushing. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet… I still have much to learn about being a good princess."

"That didn't stop me, did it?" Cadance smirked. "I got married even before I had my own kingdom to rule. And having Shiny at my side helped me with everything I did in the Crystal Empire, every little decision I made. Come on, you can tell me. I am the princess of love, after all. So is there anyone?"

Zelda blushed even more. "W-well, there is this brave, young man who saved my kingdom…"

* * *

"So I was standing there, over the lava pit, with no way out. Except for the hole in the ceiling. And one convenient updraft of air and steam and I was free," Daring said.

"Reminds me of that one room in the Fire Temple," Link replied. "Can you imagine I had to push a huge stone block on top of that fire geyser to create a lift that would carry me upwards?"

Rarity rolled her eyes. She had been listening to the two adventurers' tales ever since they started walking, and it was slowly starting to get on her nerves.

"This corridor simply goes on forever," she sighed. "How much further until we reach the exit?"

"But we just went through three different rooms before that," Link said with surprise. "It really didn't take us that long to get through… or did it?" he asked, turning to Daring Do.

Daring chuckled. "You have to remember that not everypony lives the lives we chose for ourselves, Link. Going through a dungeon is something Rarity is probably not used to."

"And I plan not to make a habit out of it, thank you very much," Rarity huffed. "Trying to find my way out of that disorienting, ungrateful castle in the Everfree Forest was more than enough."

Link and Daring exchanged a confused glance, but while both of them were wondering at the same time just how a castle could be ungrateful, they decided not to ask the agitated unicorn. For the moment, they kept on walking.

Until they reached a rectangular room with a deep, seemingly bottomless pit in its middle. The only other exit was on the other side of the pit.

Link carefully approached the edge of the chasm and kicked a little pebble into it. He listened closely, but he never heard the sound of the pebble hitting the bottom.

"Well, this is a problem," he said.

"What problem?" Daring grinned, flapping her wings. "I can carry both of you over to the other side, one at a time. No problem at all." She was about to demonstrate it to the others, but Rarity quickly grabbed her tail with her magic, pulling the pegasus back to the ground. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"Look up there," Rarity said, illuminating the upper half of the chamber with her horn.

And then Daring saw it too: Small fans, hidden in little alcoves in the wall. And even worse: Deadly spikes that covered the entire ceiling.

"Just when you flapped your wings… I saw how the fans were spinning. And the whole ceiling was coming down, just a bit. I'm not an expert in adventuring, darling, but my common sense tells me that flying over there would be a bad idea."

"I see it now," Link said. "The draft created by your wings activates the hidden fans, and a mechanism causes the ceiling to lower itself. This is a death trap, Daring."

"Dangit, I should have seen that coming," Daring grumbled. "Whoever built this room doesn't want a pegasus to cheat the system by just flying over. Looks like we need to solve some sort of puzzle to get across."

Link's dungeon instincts kicked in. "Take a look around, guys. Look for anything that looks out of place. A switch, a hidden pressure plate, anything that could activate something."

"But there is nothing here," Rarity says. "Except for those dusty old pots to the left and right of the door…"

"Did you say pots?" Link asked and ran over to them. He took his hammer and raised it up into the air.

"What are you doing?" Rarity asked. "I thought you were trying to find a way out of this room."

"I am," Link said as he brought the hammer down, smashing the pots to pieces, one after the other.

Daring grinned. "I see what you're getting at. I'll take the other side." She went over to the other corner of the room and started smashing pots with her hooves."

"Can you two tell me what in the name of Celestia you are doing?" Rarity shouted.

"Dungeon exploration rule number one," Link shouted back. "If there are pots in the room, smash them. There might be useful items inside or… aha!" He grinned triumphantly. "Or there might be a hidden switch underneath them."

"There's one on this side, too," Daring said. "We're going to have to push them at the same time, aren't we?"

"Looks like it, and the little pots obviously weren't heavy enough. That means the weight of a whole person… or pony… is needed. Let's try it." And Link stepped on the previously hidden floor switch.

"Excuse me, but isn't that a bit rash?" Rarity asked. "I mean, who knows what these switches are for? Anything could happen…"

"If we want to get out of here, we need to take some risks," Daring said as she stepped on the second one. "And if my treasure hunting experience tells me anything, we'll be out of this room very soon."

For a moment, nothing happened. But then, they heard a rumbling noise from inside the pit. And when Rarity took a look, she saw that a long bridge was extending itself over the chasm.

"See?" Daring grinned. "Piece of cake." She wanted to go over to the bridge, but when she stepped off the switch, the bridge vanished back inside the chasm wall. "Oh, just great," she groaned. "I should have known it wasn't going to be that easy."

"What now?" Link asked. "We need something to weigh down the switches, but there's nothing else here. Maybe we need to find the dungeon item first…"

"There you go again, saying something that doesn't make any sense at all," Rarity sighed. "Let me check if there's anything back in the corridor we can use…" She looked through the door they just came through.

"There they are! They can't escape now, get them!"

Rarity gasped when she saw two Lizalfos running down the corridor, in her direction. Panicking, she quickly closed the door. "Guys? I think we have a small problem."

She stumbled backwards when the first Lizalfos slammed into the door from the other side. The seamstress fell down and rolled over the floor… towards the pit. Rarity let out a scream of terror when her hind legs slid over the edge. Frightened, she tried pulling herself up on solid ground, but she couldn't get a good hold. "Link, Daring Do! Help!"

At the same moment, the door was slammed open by the incoming Lizalfos. The first one attacked Link, forcing him to defend himself. Daring, upon hearing Rarity's cries for help, quickly took her whip in her muzzle and threw the other end towards Rarity. Before she could fall, Rarity quickly grabbed it. "I've got it! Pull!"

Link was quickly realizing that he had trouble keeping up with the fast strikes of the Lizalfos. The hammer was heavier than the sword he mostly used for such fights, and on top of that, this was the first fight he fought in his four-legged form, giving him a noticeable disadvantage.

'I don't think this is a good way to get used to fighting in this form,' he thought to himself. 'But I need to take care of the enemies so Daring can pull Rarity to safety.'

While he managed to block another attack with the hammer's handle, he saw that the second Lizalfos had managed to squeeze past its companion and was on its way to attack Daring, who was in no position to defend herself.

'Screw this!' he thought. 'I'm getting sick of this body anyway.'

He pushed his opponent back with a swing of his weapon and then quickly reached up to his face, tearing the pony mask off his face. Hooves turned into hands, tail and muzzle shrunk down into his body and his whole body shifted back to a more upright position. The Lizalfos was startled by the sudden transformation and stopped its attack for a moment.

Link flexed his fingers. 'Perfect! The body I'm used to.' With reflexes honed by countless battles, he reached into his bag and pulled out his boomerang, which he threw at the Lizalfos that was attacking Daring. Stunned, the monster jerked to a halt. Using both hands, Link picked the Megaton Hammer back up and slammed it down twice, once on each Lizalfos' head. Defeated, the reptiles fell down to the ground.

With a grunt, Daring Do pulled Rarity all the way back up to solid ground. Both panted heavily.

"Thank you, Link," Daring said as she turned around to face him. "If it wasn't for you, I couldn't have…" She stopped herself in mid-sentence when she saw Link's changed appearance.

"Gah!" Rarity shouted. "Wh-what kind of creature is THAT?"

"It's just me," Link frowned as he picked up his boomerang. "This is what I really look like."

"But you… you were soooo handsome and now, now you're so pale and skinny and…" She looked up at his face with a gulp. "Giant…"

"Giant? I've seen true giants, this is normal. You're just little ponies," Link said. "Can we go on now or is my true form so shocking that you need some time to recover?"

He grabbed one of the motionless lizard bodies and deposited it on one of the two switches. Daring managed to pull herself out of her stupor and quickly did the same with the second switch. Together, they crossed the bridge and left the room through the door on the other side.

While walking next to Link, the two ponies couldn't help but glance up at him, every now and then. They tried to be subtle, but Link noticed. "Listen, does that change anything?" he sighed. "I'm the same guy as before. Just not as… furry."

"Sorry, but… can you blame us?" Daring asked. "Ever since we fled that room, I thought you were just another adventuring pony like myself, just from a faraway country. But then you turn into… some sort of hairless monkey? I'm sorry, but that's what you look like in my eyes."

"And your nose and ears are so… pointy," Rarity added.

"I'm a Hylian… and we all have the same ears. And you think it's strange to see me transform? Imagine how it must be for me to turn into a pony! I mean, there are no talking ponies in Hyrule.

"No ponies? A land populated with hairless mon… um, I mean… Hylians? Heavens, I could never imagine living in a land like that," Rarity said.

"No? Then imagine turning into one. How weird would that be? Because that's how weird it was for me to turn into a pony. No offense, I know you're all really nice guys. Well… not all of you." He thought back to Caballeron, Ghirahim and the spa twins.

"Me? On two legs? With no tail or hooves and that pointy… thing in my face?" Rarity felt like fainting, but realized in time that this was not the time or place for that.

* * *

"Pardon me… your Lordship?"

Ghirahim turned his head in annoyance. "I thought I told you to search for the escapees. Or did you find them?"

"Um, no." Ahuizotl nervously fidgeted around with his hand-tail. "They fled further into the ruins and those useless reptiles were unable to get past the traps that were in their way."

Ghirahim felt a headache coming. "I'm surrounded by idiots," he muttered. "How does my master expect me to set him free if the minions he sends to me are more useless than a wingless keese? Do I have to do everything around here by myself?"

"My lord… I've been thinking…" Ahuizotl spoke up.

"Oh, you did? Did it hurt?" the demon lord asked mockingly.

Ahuizotl gritted his teeth. He had no idea for how long he could stand the endless insults and mocking of the unicorn. 'Patience,' he told himself. 'As soon as this is over, you'll be rewarded handsomely.'

He cleared his throat. "My lord, about those other friends of Daring Do… the element bearers. You said it yourself, luring here is our best option. But what will we do once they get here? The last time I dealt with them, they proved to be quite formidable…"

"Oh, is that why you are worried? Are you afraid the great and powerful demon lord is unable to deal with a couple of colorful horses?" Ghirahim snickered.

Ahuizotl opened his mouth as he wanted to remind his lord that even together with him and the twin witches, he was unable to prevent three pony prisoners from escaping. He then wisely decided to shut his mouth.

"Just let them come. To get here, they need to cross the ocean first. And that's when we will strike. Indeed, a nice little surprise will be waiting for them in the depths of the sea… a loyal little beastie that will sink whatever vessel they are on, bring the element bearers to me and kill every other equine that dares to cross its path." The unicorn's muzzle was split by a devilish grin.

* * *

I stood at the Mary Lou's bow, enjoying the refreshing combination of wind and sprays of seawater in my face. This was my first time on a ship, but the rocking motions of the waves didn't bother me in the least. It was an exciting experience, one that I would have enjoyed a lot more if I wasn't so worried about my friend.

This wasn't the first time I had to wait for Link. Every time he had entered a temple, a cave, an enemy fortress or some area that could just not accommodate a full-grown horse, I had to stay behind and wait. But back then, in Hyrule as well as Termina, I could always count on him coming back safe and sound. But this was different. This was Equestria, a world he was not familiar with. And now that I was back to my original self, I felt as if I had to stay at his side.

I heard hoof steps behind me and looked back. I saw Rainbow Dash stumbling towards the ship's rail, tail and wings dragging behind her. Her cerulean blue face was tinted with a shade of green. "Oooooooh…" she groaned. "Why can't it stop moving?"

"What's the matter?" I asked. "I thought you were a top athlete, skilled flyer and Wonderbolt trainee. At least that's what Applejack told me. Surely you've been through lots of complex air maneuvers, at breakneck speed at that."

"Yeah, I have. But you can't compare an awesome, action-packed flight with cool stunts with a sickening motion like… this…" She made a gagging sound. "And don't call me Shirley." She then moved her head over the rail and I could her the contents of her lunch remove themselves from her stomach.

"Maybe you oughta lay down inside for a bit, lassie," the captain suggested. "Might help calm yer stomach down a bit."

"Sounds like a good idea," I nodded. "You don't look so good."

"N-no way… I've had worse… th-this future Wonderbolt can take this rough sea on… show it who's boss…"

"Ya sure about that, Rainbow?" Applejack smirked. "Would be a shame if ya couldn't join us for dinner. We're havin' dandelion sandwiches, y'know?"

"Grrrrraaaaaarrrrrgghh!" With that statement, Rainbow Dash quickly leaned back over the rail. "Damn you, AJ, don't talk… about… fooooooood…"

"You're horrible, you know that?" I told my daughter with a smirk.

"Hah! That's just payback for last week when she and Pinkie Pie put stinkweed in my hat," Applejack said.

"But I thought you were friends."

"What's a little teasing between buddies?" Captain Paddock laughed. "Life's too short and must be enjoyed to its fullest. A little prank now and then can't hurt, lass."

In exactly that moment, we heard the voices of the Cutie Mark Crusaders coming from the helm.

"Maybe this wheel can turn much faster if we use some oil on it," Scootaloo suggested.

"Ya think that's a good idea, Scoots?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Wait, I have a much better idea!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "Instead of oil, we'll be using soap!"

"Awesome!" Scootaloo said. "Once we're done with this ship, it will go so much faster. Won't the captain be thankful."

"Cutie Mark Crusaders ahoy!" they shouted together.

The captain paled. "Keep yer hooves from me beloved ship!" he shouted as he hurried after them. "Thousand thundering typhoons, I should have never brought children aboard…"

"I'm starting to have second thoughts about bringing the fillies along," I told Applejack.

"Why, you still think it's too dangerous for them?"

I shook my head. "No, I think it might be too dangerous for us to keep them around."

"Ah, they're not that bad," she grinned. "I've seen them do worse."

"I don't know how that's supposed to put me at ease," I said. "Are they acting like that all the time? I can imagine how they must feel, wanting to find their cutie marks, wanting to find out where they fit in and what they are supposed to do with their life… but a lot of the things I've seen them do doesn't really seem like it's going to help them find their cutie marks. Some of their ideas are just… weird. I mean, a cutie mark for scrubbing planks? Really?"

"Yeah, they get carried away a lot when they do this," Applejack admitted. "And I always try to intervene when I think they're overdoing it. Sometimes it's just hard to keep an eye on three little fillies when there's all this work to do on the farm, y'know?"

"Can't someone else watch over them?" I asked. "What about their parents? Or Sweetie Belle's sister?"

"They're pretty busy themselves. Especially Rarity, with all these orders she's gettin' for her fancy outfits."

"And Rainbow Dash? She said Scootaloo is like a sister to her… and she's a weather pony, so she has to have a lot of free time in-between jobs. Can't she look after them?" I asked.

Applejack frowned. "Where d'ya think they got half of their brilliant ideas from?"

I glanced over to Rainbow Dash, who was just recovering a bit from her seasickness. "Hehehe… I don't know what you're talking about," she said sheepishly.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What about hang gliding, zip lining and karate? Those were all your ideas, remember?"

My glance turned into a glare. What was that mare thinking? All those sports were incredibly dangerous if not done correctly, especially for a little filly. I understood more and more what my daughter meant when she called her flying friend reckless.

"C'moooon, those are all awesome ideas for a cutie mark. Let the squirts have some fun while they're at it," Rainbow said.

"Oh, I'm sure the girls will have their fun. I heard they want to try making DINNER tonight… maybe that'll help them get their cutie mark," I said.

"GAAAAAAAAAH! You're both horrible!" Rainbow shouted as she bent over the rail once again. "Oh my gosh… it's getting worse…"

"She's right, it is getting worse," Applejack frowned. "The waves are getting bigger and bigger." She turned to the captain, who just came to us with the CMC in tow. "Captain, is this normal?"

"Not in this weather," he frowned. "That's strange… clear skies and not nearly enough wind to cause waves of such a size. This can mean only one thing…" He leaned over the rail himself and stared down into the water.

"What's going on, Mom?" Apple Bloom asked. "Everything's going to be fine, isn't it?"

"Sure, seedling," I told her. "I'm sure the captain has everything under control." I wanted to reassure her, to make her feel better. But since I knew next to nothing about sailing, I had no idea what to tell her.

A sudden thump against the ship's underside made us all jump in surprise. "Wh-what was that?" Scootaloo yelped.

"We… must have hit a reef or somethin'," Applejack took a guess.

"No," the captain muttered. "This is no reef. This is a sea monster."

And suddenly, they appeared. Long, slimy tendrils that slithered their way up the ship's hull… pale white tentacles as thick as a stallion's body. They rose out of the water and high above our heads, swaying back and forth, as if they were biding their time to strike.

"What is that thing?" Rainbow Dash gasped. "Is it… is it a Kraken?"

"No, it can't be… the last Kraken sighting was decades ago, in the eastern seas…" Paddock said.

Then the ocean seemed to explode. An enormous flood of water shot up into the air when a colossal monster came rising out of the sea. The water came splashing down onto the deck in a big flood. "Hold onto something!" I shouted as I clung to the nearest rail with one hoof, and to Apple Bloom with my other hoof. I heard the screams of the others nearby, but I did not see what happened to them. I was unable to take my eyes off the creature that towered in front of our ship. A giant, one-eyed monstrosity with dozens of tentacles all over its head and body and a gaping maw full of sharp teeth.

I couldn't know it yet, but this was the abyssal leviathan, Tentalus. And it had come on orders of its master Ghirahim.


	16. Lost at Sea

I always used to envy Link whenever he set out on his own. Most of the heroic deeds he accomplished were those he did without the help of his loyal horse. He found lost treasure, saved people from horrible fates and defeated enormous monsters. Sure, Navi and I were a big help and part of the team, but the hero of the day was always Link. Most of the time, I accepted that and was happy with the role of the humble helper. But there were times I wished I was the one who could face the dangerous beast in battle and defeat it in a glorious way, with heroic strikes.

This moment when I was at sea with my daughters and their friends? That was the moment when I wished I could take all my previous wishes back. The first thing that ran through my head when that ugly sea monster rose up in front of me was: 'How does Link deal with such things all the time?'

But I had to keep a cool head. Link was not here, so I had to deal with this on my own. A tentacle as thick as my own body came crashing down on the deck, so I quickly dodged out of the way. At least my pony shape was much more nimble than the horse body I had in Hyrule.

Meanwhile, the three kids were running around in a panic.

"Aaaaaaaaah, that thing's bigger than the octopus in the lake!"

"It's gonna eat us!"

"We're all going to diiiiieeeee!"

"Stop running around like a bunch of headless chicken!" I shouted. "Captain! Do you have any cannons on board?"

"Uh… can't say I have," the captain said. "This is a merchant's ship, lass, not a combat vessel."

"What about catapults?"

"Not a single one," he said.

"Bows and arrows?"

"Nnnope," he said, sounding almost like my son.

"ANYTHING we can use to shoot that thing?" I shouted exasperated.

"Sorry, I wish I could help you," the captain muttered. "I really wish I could." Another wave hit the deck and soaked me and the captain from head to hooves. "What the…? Blisterning barnacles! Now see what ye've done, ye overgrown squid: My pipe went out!" Grumbling, he reached for his matches and tried relighting it.

"Looks like it's close combat for now," Applejack grunted as she bucked a tentacle that tried to wrap itself around the main mast. "Horseapples, who could have known we'd be attacked on the open sea?"

"You wanna shoot something at that beast?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew up. As soon as she was in the air, all her seasickness seemed to be forgotten. "How 'bout a cloud that shoots lightning?" Like a flash, she flew up and pushed a small cloud down, towards the monster. She kicked it once with her legs, and a bolt of lightning shot down, electrocuting the beast. "HA! Take that!"

"Whoohoo, way to go, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo cheered, her terror forgotten for a moment.

"Nicely done, Rainbow," Applejack smirked. "Looks like it pays off havin' a pegasus with ya on a boat trip."

I admit, for a moment, I had almost forgotten that pegasi could do that. I've really left Equestria for too long. But I could see that this would not be enough. "Don't cheer for victory just yet, girls," I muttered. "It's far from over."

The lightning had left a nasty, black burn mark on the monster's right side. It let out a wailing screech of pain, but also anger. I turned its one eye towards the cyan pegasus. Most of the bigger tentacles were out of Rainbow's reach, but the ones on its head suddenly shot upwards. Rainbow tried dodging, but to our all surprise, the head tentacles turned out not to be tentacles at all, but instead actual snakes. By the time Rainbow realized that, one of the snakes had already bit her in the leg.

"OW! Hey! Let go! Stupid thing!" she shouted and flailed around, but the snake kept its grip on her while the rest of the squirming appendages surrounded the helpless pegasus from all sides.

"Um, uh-oh," she gulped as she realized her predicament. "Help?"

"Hold on, Dash! I'm-a coming!" Applejack yelled as she pulled a rope out of her hat, twirled it around and threw it all the way over to the monster. I held my breath when I saw the perfect throw… it seemed like in the years of my absence, my daughter had turned into an expert with the lasso. The rope wrapped itself around most of the snake heads, and with a firm pull with her teeth, the scaly menaces were tied up. At that moment, Rainbow managed to free herself with a strong kick to the head of the serpent that was holding her.

"Ha-ha, trussed up like a turkey!" AJ grinned. "What d'ya say now, Squidward?"

The monster's answer was a long tentacle that came at Applejack from behind. "Look out!" I shouted, but it was too late. Applejack was snatched up from the deck and raised up high into the air.

I narrowed my eyes. "All right… enough is enough! I've lost my husband, was almost crushed by a meteorite, was abducted through time and space, turned into a horse that was not even able to talk, was attacked again and again by monsters, was sent on a guilt trip after getting angry at my fairy friend, was unable to keep my Hylian friend from being abducted… and now you giant pile of sushi think you can take my daughter away from me, too? Forget about it!"

I snatched the matches away from the captain, ignoring his protests. I reached into the bag of supplies I had brought from Manehattan. I took one of the bombs I bought, lit its fuse, threw it up into the air, turned around, gave the spherical explosive a good buck and watched how it flew all the way over the water, into the monster's face.

When the bomb exploded, the beast let out its most horrible screech yet. The one tentacle that had Applejack lost its grip on her, she fell down and was snatched out of the air by Rainbow Dash.

"Need a lift?" the cocky pegasus grinned.

"All right, Mom!" Apple Bloom pumped her hoof. "You did it!"

She was right. I saw that the monster didn't have much longer to live. In its throes of death, it twitched and flailed around, whipping its tentacles everywhere. I was about to let out a sigh of relief, but then one of the tentacles came down right where I was standing.

"MOOOOOOOOOM!" Apple Bloom shouted as I was thrown overboard. Everything else I witnessed after that was a chaotic blur of images and sounds. I remember hitting the water and sinking down below. I know I struggled to get back to the surface and then hit my head on something, maybe a plank. Just before my senses left me, I saw how the dying creature was using its final breath to pull the ship apart into two pieces.

* * *

Nabooru was standing on a balcony, looking over Canterlot and the vast world of Equestria that was behind it. But her thoughts weren't focused on this new world, they were focused on a dilemma the current Gerudo leader found inside her heart.

According to the goddess her people had revered since forever, the Gerudo used to be ponies of Equestria, instead of humans from Hyrule.

Nabooru was born a human. She was raised in the Gerudo Fortress to be a skilled fighter, thief and leader. In her youth, she loved going on treasure hunts. But as she grew older, the tribe's welfare became more and more important to her. Unlike others, she had realized that following Ganondorf meant not only abandoning old traditions, but also submitting yourself to the dark forces the former king of thieves was tampering with. Conquering other kingdoms? Enslaving, even killing women and children? She would rather die than see her tribe turn into a tribe of monsters.

Ever since Ganondorf was dealt with, her path in life seemed to be clear, guided by the winds of the desert. But now? What was she supposed to do now? Her tribe deserved to know the truth, right? And what would happen if the truth came out? Would the other Gerudo be appalled? Frightened? Curious? What if some decided to go to Equestria and worship the goddess in her own world? The tribe would split and maybe be torn apart because of it.

She looked down at herself. Four quick legs carrying a sleek, sinewy body covered with only the thinnest amount of fur, a fur whose color strongly resembled the bronze skin of her human form. A flowing mane and tail, just as fiery red as her hair. The same bracelets and necklace, adapted to fit her new shape. The same jewel ornament in the middle of her forehead.

'This is what I would have looked like if I was born in Equestria?' she wondered. 'I'm still learning the extent of my powers as a sage. All I did was allowing the spell to adapt my body to this world. Did the magic know my tribe's past here in Equestria and chose this form for me? What about the others? Rauru, Saria and Impa seem like pretty normal ponies. And what about Ruto and Darunia? Do creatures like the ones they turned into even exist here?'

"Are you okay?"

Nabooru turned her head and saw Saria standing there, looking at the older female with concern.

"Saria… what do you see when you look at yourself?"

The filly looked back at her changed body. "A pony, I guess. Is this a trick question?"

Nabooru chuckled. "No, it's not. Sorry, I was just thinking. It's just so weird, being in this new body. And to think that this might be what my people used to look like…"

Saria walked up to her. "You know… there isn't a lot of change happening to a Kokiri's body. Unlike Hylians or you Gerudo, we never grow old. We always stay the same, never changing. There really isn't a lot in our village that ever changes. We live the same careless lives, no matter how old we grow. We stay the same curious, innocent children, not really knowing anything about the world outside of our forest. As for me, I am a very unusual Kokiri. I can leave the forest without having to fear any negative consequences. And the more often I leave the forest, the more I learn about the world. I don't think I'm as innocent or naive as I used to be. My body stayed small, but my mind grew. But now that I changed my body to that of an Equestrian… it's really the first time I ever changed on the outside. But you know the most curious thing?"

"What is it?" Nabooru asked.

Saria smiled. "It didn't affect my mind at all. At first I was afraid that my very first physical change would leave a big impression on me and change my whole view of life forever. But nothing of the sort happened. I'm still the same Saria from Kokiri Forest. Becoming Link's friend, becoming a sage… those things have changed me more than this transformation would ever have."

Nabooru contemplated that. "Are you telling me… that this change does not matter?"

"At least not the physical change," Saria said. "We are formed by our experiences in life, by the decisions we make and the friends we find. What we look like does not usually affect that."

"You're right," Nabooru said. "This form should not matter to me. All that matters is the future of my tribe. And whatever they might think of this, I as their leader should help them make the right decision." She looked down at the forest-green filly, gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you, Saria. Among us sages, you are easily one of the wisest."

The Kokiri smiled. "I'm just helping a friend, that's all. So, are you feeling better? Because Princess Twilight and her friends offered to show us around Canterlot."

"You go on ahead without me," Nabooru said. "There's something important I have to take care of first."

"Oh, okay then. See you later." And Saria left.

'I have to talk to my goddess,' Nabooru thought. 'I want to know as much about the past of my tribe as possible. If I'm going to tell my people about this, I'm not telling them just a half-truth.'

* * *

When I woke up, I was gently rocking on the waves. I was lying on a single plank of wood that was floating in the middle of the ocean. Around me, I saw several ship parts here and there, but no ship, no monster, no land and most worrisome: No pony besides me. I was all alone.

I sunk my head. It was probably dumb luck that I fell unconscious on this single piece of wood while everything else sank to the bottom of the sea. I failed them all… my friends, my family, everypony.

"I'm so sorry, Applejack… Apple Bloom…" I sobbed. "I should have never brought you along on this trip… I couldn't protect you after all…"

A splash coming from my right startled me. My eyes went wide when I saw none other than my youngest daughter breaching the surface of the water, holding the unconscious form of her friend, Sweetie Belle.

"A… Apple Bloom?" I stuttered. "Y-you're alive? But… but how?"

"Long story, Mom," the filly gasped. "I'd love to tell you every little detail 'bout it… but before I do that, could you give me a hoof here? Sweetie's heavier than she looks."

"Oh… of course," I nodded, reaching for the unicorn filly and pulling her on top of the plank. After that, Apple Bloom swum next to me and took hold of the makeshift raft as well.

"Dang, I'm beat," she groaned. "Placing you on top of this raft here was hard enough, and then there was Sweetie… I almost thought I couldn't make it."

"Wait, what? Don't tell me you're the one who saved me…"

She nodded, exhausted, but obviously proud of herself. "Sure did. Looks like all that training I did for the Ponyville Swim Meet I joined with Granny sure came in handy." She grinned. "When I fell overboard, I saw you sinking down like a rock. I couldn't get to the others, so I wanted to save at least you. And then I saw how Sweetie was paddling around. I wanted to calm her down, but she was panicking so much, I don't think she even heard me. Then I swum over to her and tried grabbing her, but she just kept flailing her hooves around. I heard slapping panicking ponies helps to calm them down, but I guess I slapped her a bit too hard." She looked at her knocked out friend. "I hope she's not mad at me when she wakes up."

"I think that's the least of our problems, seedling," I muttered. "We're in the middle of nowhere, and I don't see the others anywhere."

"I'm a bit worried about Scootaloo, but I'm sure Applejack and Rainbow Dash are fine," Apple Bloom said. "They've been in tough situations before and always came back."

I felt new respect for my little filly and her trust in her sister. I wished I could feel the same. "Aren't you worried she might be in danger?"

"Well, the first couple of times I was. But Applejack always came back. She promised she'd always be there for the family, and she never breaks a promise. So no, I'm not worried. At least not for them. What about us, Mom? What do we do?"

"We sure can't stay here," I said. "I just wish I knew where we have to go. We can't be that far from the Saddle Arabian mainland, but in which direction should we swim?"

I then felt a stirring next to me. Sweetie Belle was coming back to her senses. "Oooouuuuuh, my head… feels like that one time we went crusading for a headbutting cutie mark."

"Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom shouted with joy. "How're ya feelin'?"

"My head hurts…" she grunted. "Where are we? And where are the others?"

"I don't know either," I said. "I suppose none of you girls managed to bring the ship's compass along?"

Apple Bloom shook her head. "No. But Mom, I thought you were an experienced traveler. Doesn't that mean you have a good sense of direction?"

"I never had to have one," I grumbled. "Whenever I needed to find back to Link, all he had to do was play that song on his ocarina."

"What song?" Sweetie asked.

"A really sweet tune a girl named Malon came up with. She even named it after me: Epona's Song." I had to smile at the memory. My good friend Malon… I wondered what she'd say if she knew I was paddling in the middle of the ocean. Would I ever see her again?

I shook my head. This was not the place to be daydreaming. We could not stay here forever. I looked left, right, forth and back but found no evidence whatsoever that could give us any hint about where we were.

'Dangit, Link,' I thought to myself. 'Where are you?'

* * *

Deep in the Moon Temple, the adventuring trio decided to take a short break. Both Link and Daring Do would have been able to go on for hours without a rest, but Rarity wasn't used to such long-lasting endeavors.

Link took a bottle filled with Lon Lon milk out of his bag. "Here, guys. Take a sip. We'll need all the strength."

"Thank you most kindly," Rarity said. "I'm so thirsty… but wait, what about you?"

"Ah, I've still got some energy left," he smirked. "I found some hearts in those pots." He ignored Rarity's aghast expression, handed her the milk and sat down next to her. Looking back into the bag, he found the Ocarina of Time. 'Good thing they didn't take this one out of the bag,' he thought to himself. Leaning back against the wall, he raised the ocarina up to his lips and played the first tune that came to mind.

No matter what kind of horrible visions Link's words had instilled in Rarity's mind, they were all gone once she heard the music. "Oh, what a beautiful song," she gushed. "What is it called?"

"Epona's Song," Link replied as he interrupted his playing for a moment. "You know, I always used to play this whenever I needed her help. And she always came running. I can't tell you how lucky I was to have her at my side."

"That sounds like she is a wonderful pony," Rarity smiled. "Applejack can be proud to have a mother like her… and you can be proud to have a friend like that."

"I am," Link smiled. "Because no matter how long my adventure lasted… every time I played this music, I remembered that I was never alone."

He kept playing and Daring Do looked at the little instrument with a little melancholy. Maybe having somepony you can trust in can be nice after all. Her first meeting with Rainbow Dash had helped her realize that, and what she just now heard from Link confirmed it even more.

* * *

I was completely lost. North, South, East and West all looked the same to me. I was about to give up finding a clue and just swim in any direction, when I heard something. Something familiar… Confused, I looked around. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what, Mom?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Sssshhhh, there it is again. Don't you hear it? That music…"

"Um… I'm sorry, Mrs. Apple, but there is no music," Sweetie Belle said.

"But I can hear it. That song… I knew it! It's Link, he's calling for me!" I felt an undescribable amount of joy welling up inside of me when I recognized the tune to be Epona's Song.

"Mom… are ya feelin' okay?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I think she hit her head harder than we thought," Sweetie Belle whispered.

"Be quiet, girls, I'm not imagining things," I grumbled. "And of course you wouldn't hear this, Link is using the Ocarina of Time to call me. Come on, he's in… this direction!" Without any further doubt, I turned our little raft west. "Come on, girls. Start paddling!"

"You sure this is okay?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Well, I've got no better idea, we might as well try this direction," Apple Bloom shrugged.

I smiled. "Good girl!" Together, we started paddling our hooves.

"Besides, I heard it's not a good idea to disagree with crazy ponies," she added.

I grimaced. "I'm not crazy!"


	17. A Sign of Loyalty

Rainbow Dash groaned as she opened her eyes. "Ooooh… where am I?" She wanted to push herself up, but her whole body felt soggy and weak. She felt nothing but wet sand on her hooves and wings.

"Rainbow Dash, you're okay!"

Before Rainbow could even take a look at her surroundings, her vision was blocked by a big amount of orange as the little pegasus filly began to nuzzle her happily.

"Gah! Scoots? Hey hey, I'm happy to see you, too, but gimme some room to breathe."

"Oops, sorry about that," Scootaloo chuckled sheepishly and let go of her idol.

Rainbow took a deep breath. "That's better. Now… where are we? And where are the others?" She looked around and saw nothing but sand in front of her and water behind her. And a couple of palm trees growing nearby. In fact, she was lying in the shade of the nearest one.

Suddenly, a coconut fell down from the tree, barely missing her. "Whoa! Watch it! What gives?"

"Hehe, sorry bout that, partner," came the all-too familiar voice of a certain cowpony. "I'm not used to bucking coconuts out of palm trees. Quite different from apples, ya see?"

"Applejack?" Rainbow was finally able to push herself up to a standing position. She saw her earth pony friend standing next to the tree, giving it another solid kick. "Uh… what are you doing there?"

"What does it look like?" Applejack grunted. "We have no food or drinks, and these coconuts are good for both. If I can make myself useful for once, I'm gonna do my darn best to do it."

"What are you talking about?" Rainbow asked.

"She's upset that she wasn't able to help her Mom and Apple Bloom," Scootaloo explained.

"Darn straight!" Applejack shouted as she kicked the tree one more time. "I promised myself to take good care of my Mom as soon as I knew she was back. And I PROMISED her I'd make sure Apple Bloom won't get into trouble. And I couldn't do either!" Another powerful kick. "Dagnabbit!"

"Is there really no sign of them?" Rainbow asked. "Not one?"

Scootaloo sadly shook her head. "Sweetie Belle is gone, too. Rainbow Dash, what am I going to do if they don't come back? I mean, how can there be the Cutie Mark Crusaders when two of them are gone?" She tried fighting back her tears, but failed. "They have to be all right, Rainbow. They just have to!"

Realizing how miserable both of her current companions felt, Rainbow felt it was up to her to cheer them up. Even though she didn't know if she could actually do a good job with it. Where was Pinkie Pie when you need her?

"Hey…" she said, giving Scootaloo a winghug. "I'm sure they're gonna be fine. They… they're probably looking for us right now. And… AJ, if your mom is with the squirts, she can look after them. She told us she's this big adventurer in that world she came from, right? So they're in good hands… right?"

"But don't you see, Dash?" Applejack said. "I wanted to protect them. I wanted to make sure she would never have to leave again. And now I lost both her and Apple Bloom!" Tears of anger streamed down her face as she kicked the tree so hard that the trunk splintered and the whole tree fell down. "Celestia dangit! I can't even protect them from an overgrown squid!" She closed her eyes. "Do ya know what it's like, Rainbow? To lose your Mom and Dad and to know that you'll never see them again? Spending yer whole life tryin' to support and protect yer family, raising a little sister with no parents? And then she comes back… like a miracle… and you know, you'll be one big, happy family again… and then the same cruel fate takes away both her and your sister? Do ya know what that's like?"

"Actually… I do know. Sorta."

With wide eyes, Applejack looked back at her friend. "Wha… what did you just say?"

Scootaloo also looked up at the older pegasus in confusion.

"You know," Rainbow said. "I can't say I know exactly what you had to live through when your parents disappeared. Since I still had my Dad. And I had no siblings or a farm to take care of. But still… when I was young, my Mom died as well. Leaving both me and Dad with no one else at our side."

Rainbow looked down into the wet sand as she was forced to relive these memories. She had buried them away, under a thick blanket of cockyness and competitiveness. But now that she had to cheer up her friend, she had to think of it again.

"My Mom… was a great flyer," she said. "She was no Wonderbolt, but still one of the best weathermares of her time. Even though my big dream had always been becoming a Wonderbolt, I decided to start with being like her. She taught me how to fly at a very young age. She and Dad took me to the races. She was even best friends with one of the Wonderbolts, Surprise. But then, one day… she was gone."

"Rainbow, I… I had no idea," Applejack said, completely astonished. "Why'd you never tell us?"

"Would it have changed anything?" Rainbow asked. "We're still good pals, no matter what happened in my past."

"I was always surprised why you'd never tell us anything 'bout yer family," Applejack said.

"Rainbow, I'm so sorry to hear that," Scootaloo sniffled and gave her a big hug.

Rainbow smiled. "Thanks, kid. I got over it at some point, y'know? I know my Mom wouldn't want me to mope and whine for the rest of my life. She always told me to follow my dreams, so I did. I became a weathermare and moved to Ponyville, where I met all of you guys."

"I'm mighty sorry, Rainbow," Applejack said, her voice filled with honesty. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that when I said you'd have no idea what I feel like. Turns out you do… now I feel awful."

"Ah, you couldn't know," Rainbow smiled. "And your Mom did come back after all. I mean, she wasn't really dead, was she? My Mom, on the other hoof… yeah, she ain't coming back. Not after being hit by that meteor…"

Applejack froze. "What… did you just say?"

"She was hit by a meteor," Rainbow said. "Yeah, I know. Pretty hard to believe, right? But I guess that's what my Mom wanted to go out like… getting crushed by a meteor sounds like the most awesome way to die, right?" She chuckled a bit at her own black humor.

"But… wait. That can't be right. That's just how my Mom and Dad died… I mean, disappeared… I mean… it couldn't have happened to both your Mom and my parents, right?"

"What?" Rainbow gasped. "You're telling me the same thing happened to them? But that's impossible!"

"Twilight told me that meteors don't happen that often," Scootaloo spoke up. "Except when there's the occasional meteor shower."

Surprised, Rainbow looked down at her. "When did Twilight teach you THAT?"

Scootaloo smirked. "At Twilight Time."

"Well, there was one when I was ten," Rainbow said. "It was Summer, I think. Mom was doing her morning routine of cloud-busting when it happened. A big, glowing hunk of rock that fell right out of the sky, barely missing Cloudsdale and flying straight at her. I wanted to fly over to her, to tell her to watch out… but my Dad held me back. Said it was too dangerous." Now a single tear appeared in Rainbow's eye as well. "Mom saw the thing, of course. But there were other kids in the sky at that time, playing tag among the clouds. My Mom pushed them out of the way right before… before…" She hid her face in her wing.

"So she died a hero," Applejack said softly. "You can be might proud of yer Mom, Rainbow." She then thought of something. "But wait… Summer? In the morning? The meteor that got my parents also fell at Summer. And I was also ten at that time."

"Do you think it might be the same one?" Scotaloo gasped.

"That might just make sense. Think about it, Rainbow: If you imagine a trail going through Cloudsdale and in the direction that meteor was falling… where would it end?"

"Ponyville…" Rainbow muttered. "No, not directly Ponyville… but its outskirts… and that's where's…" She gasped. "Sweet Apple Acres!"

"Yer darn right," Applejack nodded grimly. "I remember the day as clear as apple cider… the sky was turning dark, Dad called us to stay inside… but Mom had been plowing the fields. She had problems getting the plow off in time, so my Dad ran back to help her. But they didn't make it in time…"

"I don't believe it!" Rainbow shouted. "You mean the same meteor took away both our parents at the same time? What are the chances of that happening?"

"Could have been a coincidence… but the more I think back to that day… that meteor looked very strange. I'm no expert, but do meteors glow dark blue like that one did? I barely thought about it, since I was just a kid back then."

"It was a strange color," Rainbow admitted. "I'm sure a nerd like Twilight could tell us what that means… too bad she's not here now."

Applejack gritted her teeth. "Dang meteor… making ponies' lives miserable like that…"

* * *

"Over there! I see land!" Sweetie Belle shouted with excitement.

"Finally," I sighed. "My hind legs are hurting. And my fur's all soggy. I hate it when that happens."

"Why, Mom? You afraid of the water?" Apple Bloom said teasingly.

I smirked at her. She got that snappy mouth from me. "Watch your mouth now, missy. Or it's straight back to Ponyville with you."

"It ain't like you could send me back now, with no boat and all," the little seedling said in that sassy tone of hers.

"I wish I had a boat right now," Sweetie groaned. "I love to get wet in the rain, but I've had enough of water for several days to come. If I see anymore water after this, it will be too soon."

"Be careful what you wish for, Sweetie Belle," I said. "When we're crossing the desert, you'll be wishing for water faster than you think. And I mean fresh, sparkly water to drink, not this salty sea water."

Together, we put the last bit of distance behind us and finally reached the shore. I watched with amusement when Apple Bloom was so relieved to be back on dry land that she tried kissing the ground, only to get a muzzle full of sand.

Sweetie Bell tried standing up on her feet, but I saw right away that she was wobbling. Quickly, I ran over to catch her before she fell. "Careful," I said. "You're not quite all right yet."

"Yeah, I feel dizzy," Sweetie nodded. "Apple Bloom must have hit me harder than I thought."

"Sorry…" Apple Bloom muttered sheepishly.

I knelt down next to the little unicorn. "Come on, climb on up. I can carry you until you're feeling better."

She smiled gratefully as she got up on my back. "Thank you, Mrs. Apple. You know, my Mom would have done the same thing, but honestly, I don't think she's as strong as you."

"You'd be surprised how strong mothers can get when it's about their children," I smiled. "But I'd like to meet your mother some time. What's her name?"

"Oh, her name is Pearl. Pearl Belle, and she's an amazing mom. She taught me how to cook."

"If y'all can call turning toast into greyish sludge cooking…" Apple Bloom muttered.

"Hey!" Sweetie shouted.

I looked back at the little filly on my back with awe. "Did you say Pearl? Why, that's one of my best friends back when I was still living in Ponyville."

"You're friends with my Mom?" Sweetie Belle gasped. "Wow, Apple Bloom! Our moms were best buddies and we never knew."

"You're right, that is kind of cool," Apple Bloom grinned. "Say, did you and Mrs. Belle form your own secret club when you were young, just like us?"

"No, seedling," I chuckled. "You need to remember that I lived in Manehattan when I was your age. I was a couple of years older than Applejack is now when I moved to Ponyville."

"Oh, right. But it's still cool."

It was then that I heard some voices coming from behind the nearest dune. Voices that sounded pretty familiar. "Well, what do you know?" I said. "I think we found the others."

Together, we walked up the dune until we reached another small cove, where we saw Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo sitting underneath a palm tree and talking. However, the captain was nowhere in sight.

Scootaloo was the first one to spot us. "Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle!" she shouted with excitement.

"Hey, y'all!" Apple Bloom waved and half ran, half slid down the dune to meet her friend. I followed her a bit more carefully, with Sweetie on my back.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack stopped their conversation and stood up. "See? Toldya they'd be alright," Rainbow grinned.

"Yeah yeah, don't tell me you weren't worried as well," Applejack shot back.

"Hey, you guys!" Scootaloo shouted. "Where have you been? And what's wrong with Sweetie Belle?"

"Apple Bloom knocked me out with her hoof," Sweetie grinned. "And you know what happens when earth ponies throw their weight around."

"I'm not that heavy," Apple Bloom blushed.

"Hah! I always told AJ all those apple pies go right to her flank!" Rainbow laughed.

"Why, you little…" Applejack grumbled.

"Before you two start throwing punches, can we maybe calm down for now and decide our next steps?" I asked.

"Oh, right. Sure, Mom," Applejack muttered,

"No prob," Rainbow said, scratching the back of her head.

I cleared my throat. "First of all, has any of you an idea where the captain might be? Because we didn't see him anywhere on our way to the shore."

"I have no idea where he could have disappeared to," Applejack said. "What about you, Rainbow?"

"Not a clue," the pegasus shrugged. "Last time I saw him was when that tentacle thing sank our ship."

"You don't suppose… he didn't make it?" Scootaloo gasped.

"Well, you know the old saying that a captain always goes down with his ship…" Rainbow muttered.

"Stop that, yer scaring them," Applejack said. "We have no reason to believe anything bad happened to him until we know for sure. Maybe he was washed ashore somewhere else."

"Poor captain…" Apple Bloom said. "Should we go find him?"

"But we still need to find Rarity," Sweetie Belle protested. "She's in danger too, remember?"

"Well… I guess that's true…" Applejack said. "Still, I'd feel bad not to look for him."

"We can't look both for him and the guys who kidnapped Link and Rarity," I said. "And unlike the captain, we actually have a lead to where they brought those two."

"What kind of lead are you talking about, Mom?" Applejack asked in confusion. "And where in Equestria did you get it? You didn't tell me anything about it when we were on the ship."

"No, that's because I didn't hear it until later, when the fillies and I were in the water," I said. "Link played this magic song on his ocarina, that's how I always manage to find him. He stopped playing some time ago, but I know it came from that direction." I pointed my hoof at what must have looked like any other sand dune. But I was certain Link was in that direction. I could feel it.

"So… what you're saying is that we should go and walk right into the middle of the desert, with no clear clue except for a song that only you hear? Is that it?" Rainbow asked. The skepticism in her voice was abundant.

"Yes, that's exactly it. Now, are you girls coming?" I asked.

"Well, all right," Applejack said. "We just packed a lovely bunch of coconuts, so we should have enough to eat and drink… at least for now. So, let's go, everypony."

"Come on, Applejack!" Rainbow shouted. "Don't you think that's a bit… I dunno… weird?"

"Yeah. But since I trust my mom, I'll believe it. She says we're following a magic song, so we're following a magic song. Besides, it's not what happened to us made always that much sense either. I mean, an evil doppelganger of Princess Cadance? Dark vines that take over Ponyville? Cotton candy clouds filled to the brim with chocolate milk?"

"All right, all right, I get it," the disgruntled pegasus snorted. "But I want a mug of free cider when all of this is over, okay?"

We then set off. On our way, Applejack addressed me: "You know, Mom? There's something we've been talking about, I think you should know about that…"

* * *

"So, are there any other songs you can play?" Rarity asked. "I'd love to hear them. The beautiful music sure helped me forgot the dreadfulness of the place we are stuck in."

"Well, there are several songs I've learned," Link said as he walked alongside the two ponies. "And most of them have some sort of magical effect. The Song of Storms for example creates a heavy downpour of rain, anywhere I am… which I assume would be very helpful in the desert, as soon as we're out of these ruins. Then there's the Sun's Song, which helps me to quickly change from day to night, and back again."

"Wait, what?" Daring Do asked. "That's impossible! Only Luna and Celestia are powerful enough to control the sun and the moon. You can't tell me a simple song can unleash the power of an alicorn."

"I don't think it affects the sun directly. It rather speeds up time, so dusk or dawn come quicker. There are a few other spells I can use with the Ocarina of Time which also affect time, but they didn't work ever since I left Termina… I wonder why that is."

"Whatever. As long as your little instrument doesn't help us escape this place, I don't see it to be very useful," Daring muttered. "Now, only through this room and we should reach the exit in no time…"

Link opened the door and nearly hit his head when he walked in. "Dang, this place really was built with ponies in mind," he grumbled. "All the passages are so narrow."

"Truth to be told, darling, I doubt you'd even be able to fit through the door of my boutique like this… which is a shame, since I have so many new ideas for an outfit that would look dashing on your two-legged frame."

She wanted to go after him, but all of a sudden, the door shut itself in-between Link and the ponies. Not only that, but a heavy portcullis fell down in front of it, blocking off their only entrance.

"What the hay?" Daring shouted. She pulled at the metal bars, but they wouldn't budge. "Dangit Link, what did you do? Open the door!"

"Oh, I'm afraid he won't be able to help you," a smug voice came out of the darkness behind them. "He is going to have enough problems of his own. I'd hate to be in his skin right now. I mean, these witches certainly hold a strong grudge against him."

The grinning form of Ghirahim appeared out of the shadows. "Unlike them, however, I am not here to play. I am here to gather the sage. So, little miss white horse, I would be incredibly delighted if you didn't waste any more of my valuable time and let yourself be sacrificed, so the first step of the ritual can be completed."

"Beg your pardon?" Rarity shouted. "I will most certainly not go with a horrible stallion such as yourself. You are cruel, uncouth and have no fashion sense whatsoever."

The demon lord grimaced as Rarity's words hammered in. "You… you have the gall to insult my sense of fabulousity? You, a common beast of burden? A horse that happens to have a horn and the ability of speech dares to insult the great demon lord Ghirahim?"

"Demon lord my flank!" Rarity shouted. "You are nothing but a horrendous brute!"

"You… filthy animal!"

"Uncivilized ruffian!"

"Stuck-up bitch!"

"Pompous bastard!"

"Mule!"

Rarity gasped. "Oh, it is ON! Daring, let me at this fool! Nopony calls Rarity Belle a mule!"

"Rarity, stand back," Daring muttered. She was growing increasingly irritated by the two unicorns' exchange. It was time to focus back on action, and she was the mare for the job. "I'll handle this."

"Oh, how amusing," Ghirahim chuckled. "The little winged horse thinks she can protect the horned horse."

"Stop with the insults already!" Daring shouted. "And stop saying horse, we're PONIES! For crying out loud, have you ever taken a look at yourself? You're a pony, too."

Ghirahim grimaced. "I am NOT a pony!" He lowered his head and started charging a powerful magical blast… but while the magic was building up in the tip of his horn, Daring's whip wrapped itself around it.

"Gotcha now, twinklehooves!" she grinned and gave the whip a good yank, making the demon lord stumble, interrupting his concentration.

"You CRETIN!" he shouted. "You will die for that." With a relatively simple spell, at least for him, he summoned his sword, a curved black blade, and cut the whip in half. "See how good you fare with no weapon, horse."

"Pony! And I have a name, you know," she said. Ghirahim growled and lunged at her, but she spread her wings, leapt up into the air and slammed her hooves down on his skull. "It's Daring Do!"

* * *

"Daring! Rarity!" Link shouted. He pressed his ear against the door, but couldn't hear anything. At least not from behind the door. What he heard, though, was the quiet chuckling of two female voices that approached him from behind.

"You want to leave so soon, honored customer?" Aloe said as she stepped into view to his left. "That's so bad, we haven't had the chance to show you our hospitality yet." The red gemstone on her headband shone in a crimson light, and her mane transformed into a plume of fire.

"Don't worry about your friends, Mr. Link," Lotus said as she stepped forth in the opposite corner of the room. "They are taken care of. As for you, why don't you try our newest treatment? A treatment of skin-scorching flames and bone-chilling ice!" The blue gemstone in her headband shone in an ice-blue light, and her mane transformed into an aura of coldness.

"You know, you aren't very threatening when you still talk like spa owners," Link said, grabbing the hilt of his hammer. "You try very hard to be like the witches I once fought, but you aren't like them at all. So why do you want to have revenge again?"

"Be quiet!" Lotus shouted. "We are Twinrova, the twin elders of the Gerudo tribe from Hyrule, the personal servants of the great Ganondorf and your mortal enemies!"

"You are also ponies," Link pointed out while he and the sisters circled each other slowly. "You lived in Ponyville and obviously had some sort of friendly relationship with Rarity. Who are you trying to fool, Lotus?"

"Shut up! I'm Kotake!" she yelled. "And you will die!" She shot a beam of ice out of her horn, which Link skillfully dodged.

"Keep telling yourself that, Lotus," Link said. On the outside, he was controlled, even cocky. But on the inside, he was very nervous. Unlike the last time he fought Twinrova, he didn't have his Master Sword. Even worse, he didn't have the Mirror Shield. But the witches didn't have their brooms either, so maybe he could defeat them in a ground battle. But first, he had to try something else.

"What about you, Aloe?" he asked the other sister, who hadn't even attempted to attack him yet. "You don't seem as convinced as your sister. Do you really want to do this? Or do you still prefer servitude to a master who isn't even here anymore? Heck, you're not even who you once were anymore."

"I'm sorry, Link," the pink pony said. It was honest regret he could hear in her voice. "But I have no other choice. You have your destiny and we have ours. Didn't you learn anything from your endeavors? A person's fate is set in stone. You were chosen by the Triforce of Courage. We were chosen to be the reincarnations of Twinrova. There is no way around this!" And she shot a hot lance of fire at him.

Link still managed to dodge, but the fire singed parts of his tunic. The hotness was so painful that he was even forced to drop his hammer. He gritted his teeth. He had to come up with something. Attacking them heads on was very risky, but what else could he do?

"Poor Hero of Time," Lotus said mockingly. "You should have known that you cannot dissuade us from our path. You are out of options, aren't you? Why don't you use your spells? Your magic arrows? Oh, that's right… you can't!" She giggled. "I sensed it when I put you in that cage. You have no magic whatsoever left in your body. Wasn't it given to you by one of the great fairies in Hyrule? Whatever happened to it, I wonder…"

"Can it be that a normal Hylian's body can only hold up magic for so long?" Aloe smirked. "You have to be born a natural magic user, like us. Or Princess Zelda. I was honestly surprised that you were even able to still use the light arrows on our master."

"The great fairies kept giving me gifts," Link calmly replied. He figured it wouldn't hurt to give them that information, and keeping them talking might give him the time he needed to come up with an idea. "But soon after Ganondorf was defeated and I was sent back to my own time, the magic left me and I only had my basic tools and weapons. I had no magic at all when I set out on my next adventure. I regained the ability to use the fire, ice and light arrows during that quest, but I lost the magic again soon after that journey was over."

"I knew it," Lotus said smugly. "Why are you even trying to use magic at all? You are not fit for it. You are an amateur who has to rely on magic bottles and potions to replenish your mana. We are the true masters!"

"If that is true, then why haven't you regained your ability to fly already?" Link asked with a smirk. He had a plan. But for it to work, he had to provoke one of the sisters, and Lotus seemed the obvious choice. "Should be no problem at all for a true 'master of magic' to make a broom fly. I heard even unicorn fillies in this world can do it. Oh, I'm sorry, I must have forgot: You weren't born as unicorns, who are the most gifted ponies in this world. You are earth ponies!"

"SHUT UP!" Lotus shouted as she shot another beam of ice at him. Link once again dodged, and the attack left a widespread cover of ice on the floor. Before it could melt away, however, Link took his boomerang and threw it.

The thrown boomerang spun through the air and flew right over the frozen ground. The rapid spinning weapon absorbed some of the cold the magic ice was giving off and got covered in a thin sheet of frost. The boomerang kept on flying, directly towards Aloe, who was so surprised that she was unable to evade the projectile in time. The boomerang smacked into her face, and the ice it had absorbed shattered in an icy explosion. Aloe cried in pain as the cold extinguished the flames on her head, turning them back into a regular mane. The blow of the weapon itself knocked her whole body back into a pillar. She slid down to the floor with a groan.

Link caught the boomerang on its way back and looked at her. "I'm sorry about that, too. But this time around, I'll make sure not to hurt you too much."

Lotus gritted her teeth. "You think you've won because you got one hit on my sister? Think again, Hero of Time, because I won't fall for the same trick."

"Will you knock it off?" Link sighed. "Seriously, why are you even trying anymore? Let's say we keep this up. I beat you again, we get out of here, if the princess of this land is kind enough, you will be imprisoned. Maybe you'll break out and try again, which means I get to beat you again. Even if at some point I'm forced to kill you, which I really don't want to do, you might get reincarnated again and the same thing starts from the beginning. Do you want it to keep going like that?"

"Shut up! I'll beat you!" she shouted.

"Lotus… please stop…" came a soft voice from the ground. Both Link and Lotus were surprised when they saw Aloe looking at her sister from the ground, with tears in her eyes. "Link is right, we… we have to stop this. We have to break the circle. We don't have to do this anymore."

"Sister, what… what are you saying?" Lotus muttered in confusion. "We agreed on this… ever since we found out… we agreed we had to kill the Hero of Time for what he did to us."

"But that wasn't us," Aloe said. "Don't you get it? Maybe we once were those witches in a former life, maybe that's why we can use their powers, but they weren't US! We are not Kotake and Koume, we are Aloe and Lotus Blossom!" The tears started flowing down her face. "I don't want to do this anymore, Lotus. I was unsure of it from the very beginning. But I didn't want to disappoint you. I was afraid that… that we would drift apart if I told you what I really felt. So I stayed at your side and kept telling myself that maybe you were right. And maybe I would accept it some day. But I couldn't. I just couldn't."

"But… but Ghirahim told us… he could come back. If we help him free Demise, Ganondorf might come back, too. And the glorious old days…"

"Those are Kotake's memories playing a trick on you!" Aloe shouted. "Don't you get it? Ganondorf was a monster! And Twinrova, they were the servants of a monster! He invaded other countries, burnt cities down, killed men, women and children alike. Do you want to be like that? We almost killed Ratity, for Celestia's sake! She's one of our oldest friends!" She couldn't stop crying. "And we almost killed her friends, too by leaving those Stalfos in our basement. I only did it because I knew they could deal with it. They already fought dangerous foes like the changelings. They saved all of Equestria again and again and we were supposed to kill them? No, Lotus. I could never do that. That's why I left something behind in the cellar. A clue that will help them find us. They will come here and defeat the bad guys, like they always do. They will help us. Please, Lotus…" She looked up at her sister pleadingly.

"You… you betrayed me?" Lotus muttered. "You left them a clue even though I told you to clean up the whole room? To take everything with you?"

"I did it to save us!" Aloe shouted. "I didn't protest when Ghirahim or Demise gave us those orders, because I was afraid for my life. We are trapped in this, Lotus. We need their help to get out of it. So please, stop while you can and stop attacking Link!"

"Your sister is right, Lotus," Link said. "I don't know if it was my fate to defeat Ganondorf or not. But I know that you can change yours. Right now. It is up to you."

Lotus hesitated. "I… I don't know…"

But suddenly, the entrance to the room exploded inwards when both the portcullis and the door itself were blown apart by a powerful blast of magic. Lotus gasped and jumped in front of her sister, to shield her from the incoming debris, while Link raised his arms in front of his face.

When the dust settled, Link saw a motionless body lying amidst the rubble. The body of a pegasus with a grey mane.

"Daring!" he shouted in surprise.

Ghirahim entered the room, walking slowly. In his magic grasp, he held the helpless Rarity. "So irritating when lowly creatures keep struggling because they think they can win," he chuckled. "But it is over. I now hold in my grasp the first of the seven sages of Hyrule. And I will now begin to weaken the seal on my master's prison by killing her… which will be a personal enjoyment."

He summoned a small, blood red gem. "See this trinket, my little horse? This is the vessel for your soul. After you die, it will be kept in here for eternity, while you suffer. Does that sound promising for you? Because it does for me. For all those rude and nasty names you called me, I will enjoy this. All I have to do is to touch you with this crystal and…"

"NO!" Link shouted as he ran towards them. Ghirahim merely looked in his direction, and a barrier of dark magic sprouted up in-between them. Rarity tried her best to escape the demon lord's spell, but his magic was far more powerful than her own. She shivered when the small crystal moved closer and closer to her body…

'So this will be it,' she thought as she closed her eyes. 'Goodbye, my friends. Goodbye, mother and father. Goodbye… Sweetie Belle…'

The crystal touched her head and she expected to die.

But nothing of the sort happened.

"What… what is this?" Ghirahim muttered in annoyance. "She's the Sage of Generosity! This crystal was supposed to force out her true inheritage and then trap her soul inside forever! This is impossible! Unless…" His hateful gaze wandered over to the two twins. "You!" he hissed.

"You failed, Ghirahim," Aloe said defiantly. "You will not be able to free Demise… because Rarity is NOT a sage of Hyrule!"

"You…" he gritted his teeth in anger. "You lied to me… you deceiving, little witches… so you decided to side with the dirty Equestrians after all… so be it! You will die a slow, horrible death…"

He grunted when a hoof came out of nowhere, smacking him in the face. The impact was so hard that everyone in the room heard his nose break. He was flung backwards, through the door and into the corridor, while Rarity safely dropped on her hooves.

Panting, Daring Do pulled back her hoof. "Get your… hooves off… my FRIENDS!" she said.

Aloe gasped. "Sister! Do you see it? Her cutie mark! It changed!"

Everyone looked at Daring's flank in surprise. And, true enough, instead of the compass rose she had seen most of her life, she was the image of a red, crystalline lightning bolt.

"The Element of Loyalty," Lotus muttered. "Daring Do is Equestria's Sage of Loyalty."


	18. Companions Reunited

"Unnnnnngghh…" Dash moaned. "I hate thiiiis… it's too hot. I need some shade. And water, lots of it!"

"What's the matter, we still got coconut milk left," Applejack said.

"Yeah, but it's the only thing we have. We've been drinking nothing but coconut milk for the past few hours. I want some fresh water!" Rainbow said.

"Yeah, me too," Scootaloo groaned.

"Stop complaining, you two," I said. "It wasn't hours, it was barely 30 minutes. And this is the desert, of course it's going to be hot. You decided to come along, so deal with it."

"Mom, I'm hot too," Apple Bloom said. "Can't we just take a rest? Only for a moment? Please?"

"Not a good idea, seedling," I said. "Staying right underneath the searing sun? That's asking for a heat stroke. It's best we find whatever place Link and Rarity have been taken to and hope there's some shade there." I looked back at Sweetie Belle, still perched atop my back. "Are you feeling better?"

"Still a bit woozy, but it's getting better," she said. "Thanks, Mrs. Apple. And I'm sorry for being such a burden. I'll walk if I'm getting too heavy…"

I shook my head. "No, it's okay. Don't overexert yourself. I'll carry you until the last bit of dizziness is gone."

"Rainbow Dash, can't you get us a cloud?" Scootaloo asked. "That'll give us some shade and water."

"Are you kidding?" Rainbow grumbled. "Take a look above you! There's not a single cloud in the sky, not even a small one." She shook her head, wings drooping. "This is no place for pegasi."

"If I only had my scooter," Scootaloo muttered. I felt pity for the pegasus filly. That little vehicle must have meant the world for her, but now it was at the bottom of the ocean.

"Hey, chin up, squirt," Rainbow smiled. "I'll buy you a new one once we're back."

Scootaloo's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"It's a promise," Rainbow smirked. That mare sure was something. Undoubtedly brash, cocky and competitive, but with a great heart. She and Applejack bickered all the time, but I could tell that it was just their way of sharing their friendship.

I couldn't express how happy I was for my daughter to have found such good friends. And the both of them were even willing to go to the end of the world to save their mutual friend. Of course, I was doing the same for Link, but that made me even prouder. It looked like they were made out of the stuff adventurers were made of.

Unlike me, however, they did this on their own, voluntarily. I had no choice when I was whisked away to that faraway land called Hyrule. I still had no idea how it happened.

That reminded me of what the girls had told me earlier. That Rainbow's mother was supposedly hit by the same meteor that hit me and my husband. It baffled me to no end. Where did that meteor come from? Was it really the meteor that brought me to Hyrule, or was I brought there before it could hit me? But if it really was the meteor's fault, shouldn't my husband and Rainbow Dash's mother be brought to Hyrule as well? As far as I knew, there were no horses anywhere in Hyrule that were anything like me. But if it wasn't the meteor, what did bring me there? It was a confusing loop of questions, and none of them brought me any closer to an answer.

Which is why I was glad when Apple Bloom pulled me out of my thoughts by tugging on my mane. "Mom, take a look at this. There's somethin' up ahead."

"Looks like some sort of deep crater is in the sand, behind that dune," Applejack remarked.

"I'll take a look," Rainbow said as she took off into the air. "Maybe there's an oasis down there. Daring Do always finds one when she's lost in the desert."

"I wouldn't put yer hopes up, sugarcube," Applejack shouted after the pegasus. "It's probably just a few more tons of sand."

Rainbow flew up until she could look over the sand dune. "Whoa…" she said. "Guys… you better come up here and take a look at this."

Together, the girls and I clambered up the dune until we could look down into the crater as well. And what we saw there made our eyes go wide.

"Wooooow!" Scootaloo said. "Cooooool!"

"That there looks like an old city," Apple Bloom gasped. "Y'all think there are ponies livin' down there?"

"Doubt it," I said. "That town is in ruins, and the buildings look like they're centuries old. However, they are looking somewhat familiar…"

"That has to be the ancient city of the desert tribe Daring Do wrote about in her books," Dash shouted excitedly. "That means Link and Rarity are somewhere down there, right?"

It made sense. And the more I looked at the city, it reminded me of the architecture of the Gerudos. I still didn't know why they were brought here, but Link and Rarity had to be here. This was where Epona's Song had come from. I wish I could still hear it, but Link had stopped playing for some time now. Slowly, our group made its way down the dunes, into the city.

"Poor Rarity," Sweetie Belle said as she looked around the stone buildings. "She's probably fainted several times because there's too much sand in her fur and mane. And after that, she's probably trying to clean the whole city."

"The way I see it, Rarity has bigger problems than just dust," Applejack frowned. "Take a look, guys… looks like we've got company."

Our bodies tensed up when we heard the hissing. I carefully helped Sweetie Belle off my back, and Rainbow, Applejack and I formed a protective circle around the young fillies. I then saw the green-scaled reptiles crawling out of the buildings.

"Lizalfos," I snorted. "Here we go, girls. Those lizards are not going to let us go without a fight."

"Bring it!" Rainbow shouted as she ducked her head and raised her wings, a typical aggressive pegasus behavior. "Time to show these sand snakes what a Cloudsdale pegasus and Wonderbolt-in-training can do!"

"Yer not fergettin 'bout my mom and me, aren't ya, sugarcube?" Applejack smirked. "Cause us Apples can buck lots more than just apple trees. Right, Mom?"

I smirked back. "After you, daughter."

The Lizalfos pounced, and the fight was on.

* * *

Ghirahim was laughing. He was lying in the middle of a huge amount of rubble, his coat and mane was full of dust and there was a hoof-shaped imprint on his face. But he was laughing.

"Priceless!" he chuckled. "The little witch almost made my resolve falter. Telling me I have failed… But on the contrary: Fate has never been more kind to me than today. Does it matter if the horned horse is the sage or not? It doesn't! The winged horse is the sage… and I was the one who brought her here! If that isn't fate…"

Chuckling to himself, he slowly stood up, glancing through the destroyed doorway into the other room. The fools were discussing something. The winged horse seemed to be shocked to no end because of that silly emblem on her rump. It didn't matter. Soon enough, she would die.

He summoned his sword and stepped into the room. The fools didn't even see him coming. The unicorn was trying to calm the pegasus down and the witches were crouching in one corner of the room, licking their wounds. Death would come for all of them.

He raised his blade for the kill… but it was blocked by the handle of a hammer.

Ghirahim snarled while Link met his stare with resolve. "Forgot about me, didn't you?"

"Of course… the hero!" Ghirahim spat. "Always meddling, always interfering. Always wearing that annoying, green cap. Must I be cursed to run into one of you eventually?"

"Stop prattling and start fighting," Link said as he and the demon started to circle each other. Nervously, Daring and Rarity edged away into a corner of the room. Lotus was still crouching over her injured sister, an unreadable expression on her face.

"This shall be over soon, mortal," Ghirahim said. "The first Link was a formidable fighter and I underestimated him, true enough. But he had that accursed blade on his side. What do you have? A bulky hammer." He chuckled.

'Does he ever shut up?' Link thought to himself. 'Gee, and he calls me annoying.'

Link started the fight by taking a swing at his opponent, which Ghirahim nimbly dodged. Even in a unicorn's body, he was far too agile to be hit with a heavy weapon. But when he sliced at Link with his black sword, the hero barely managed to get his weapon up in time to deflect the incoming attack.

'This isn't going to work,' Link thought. 'If only I had my sword…'

"Are you not trying to hit me again?" Ghirahim snickered. "No? Very well then, allow me…" He summoned a single, crimson diamond, which he hurled at Link. Far too tiny to block with the handle of a hammer, and a dangerous projectile nevertheless. So Link did the only thing he could do in such a situation: He jumped out of the way.

That's what Ghirahim was hoping for. Faster than the eye could see, he dashed to the spot Link was jumping to. And slashed his arm with his blade. Link cried out as he was forced to drop the hammer. He tried to get Ghirahim with a kick, but a single backflip brought the demon out of his reach.

"Link!" Daring shouted. "Wait, I'll help you…"

"Stand back!" Link shouted. "That's just what he wants." He winced and clutched his injured arm, keeping the blood from coming out.

"Smart decision, hero," Ghirahim chuckled. "But futile. You can't protect your friend for forever. You know, this is very enjoyable. No sacred sword to fight back with, no annoying goddess or sword spirit to help you. How does it feel to be helpless?"

"Helpless?" Link asked. "Think again." Using his good arm, he reached into his bag and pulled out the hookshot. He aimed the sharp, metal tip in Ghirahim's direction and pulled the trigger. The tip came shooting at the evil unicorn like an arrow, pulling a long chain behind. Ghirahim did not expect that kind of attack and barely managed to sidestep the hookshot, which buried itself in a slab of stone.

"Interesting weapon," Ghirahim said. "But toys won't help you now."

"Oh, I think it will help me quite well," Link smirked and activated the trigger once again. The hookshot retracted, pulling the tip back towards him, together with the hunk of stone it was attached to. However, there was a certain obstacle in the way, which the stone heavily collided with. And that obstacle was Ghirahim's head. The stone slab broke apart and the demon lord fell to the ground with a grunt.

Link pulled the hookshot's tip all the way back in. "I won't be helpless as long as I still have equipment that can help me."

"Is that so?" Ghirahim grumbled as he looked up at him. "I will have to take away every last one of your little toys then." Weakly, he staggered to his feet. He was a mess. Both the front and backside of his head were swollen and disfigured, and his eyes were glowing with hatred towards the hero and his allies.

"How awful!" Rarity made a face. "He wasn't that nice to look at to begin with, but now his outer appearance at least matches his nasty behavior."

Ghirahim snarled. Those pitiful mortals would not ruin this perfect day. "AHUIZOTL!" he shouted. He hated to resort to the help of others, but they didn't leave him any other choice.

"Great, he's calling him," Daring rolled her eyes. "Let's just leave, guys. He can't do anything to stop us."

"No," Link said. "I want to end this now. And I want answers. And our friend here is going to give them to me."

"Such insolence! We'll see who answers to who when I'm done with you," Ghirahim said.

Ahuizotl then appeared behind him. He was accompanied by at least a dozen Lizalfos. "My lord! What happened?"

"What does it look like, idiot?" Ghirahim snarled. "Take those fools out so we can finish the ceremony."

"A chance to finally kill Daring Do?" Ahuizotl grinned. "But with pleasure!" He snapped his tail-fingers, and the Lizalfos followed him into the room, while Ghirahim backed off.

"This is going to be nasty," Link muttered as the enemies swarmed the room. He looked over to Aloe and Lotus. "So, are you guys with us or what?"

"I…" Lotus still seemed uncertain.

"Is there really much of a choice, sister?" Aloe asked as she stood up. Apparently, she had rested enough. "Ghirahim is not going to let us live after this. So if we want to survive, we have to side with the hero."

"I hate it when you're right," Lotus muttered. "Very well then, for now we'll help. But don't expect me to like him all of a sudden!"

"Aloe, Lotus…" Rarity smiled at them. "I knew you'd come to your senses. Thank you."

"Save your thanks for when we're out of here," Lotus muttered.

The Lizalfos snarled and bared their fangs. Aloe and Lotus charged up their spells. Rarity telekinetically picked up a couple of rocks and got ready to throw them. Daring Do and Ahuizotl glared into each other's eyes.

Lin tried to pick up the Megaton Hammer, but with just one arm, he just couldn't keep a good grip on it. "Dangit, I can't fight like this. Maybe I should switch back to pony for now."

"Then get that mask back on. We got this," Rarity said as she threw her first boulder into the crowd of reptiles. "Take that, you ruffians!"

Aloe and Lotus started blasting them with fire and ice, while Daring and Ahuizotl engaged in a one-on-one fight with flailing hooves, feet, wings and fists.

Link took the pony mask. "All right, back to four legs," he sighed and put it on his face. An agonizing jolt of pain later, and he found himself back as a pony. His left foreleg was still injured, but at least he could still stand and hold the hammer with his mouth, using his earth pony strength.

Aloe froze a couple of Lizalfos to the ground, but didn't see a third one, as it jumped at her from her right. Before it could reach her, though, it was smashed into the wall by a giant hammer.

"Watch your back," he said. "And no need to go easy on those guys. They are not your minions anymore."

"Link?" she asked, surprised that he came to her aid. "I'm so sorry for all of this… I don't know if we can ever make it up to you…"

"Well, helping to win this battle would be a start," Link said. "So focus!"

While the fight was going on, the combatants heard a very strange battlecry echoing through the temple. It came from the door on the other side of the room, the one neither had paid any attention to up to now. And the voices who shouted this battlecry sounded very high-pitched.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS MONSTER BASHERS!" shouted the three little terrors as the barged into the room, chasing a whimpering Lizalfos that ran away from them with his tail between his hind legs.

"S-SWEETIE BELLE?" Rarity gasped. "Wh-where did YOU girls come from?"

* * *

"They're with us," I said as I entered the room. "And I must say, they've been a huge help against these Lizalfos." I smirked at my four-legged, green-capped partner. "Hey Link. You look like you could use some help, so I've come to save the day."

"Don't forget about us!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she and Applejack came running in after me. "Hey Rares, what's up?"

"Yee-haw!" Applejack shouted as she bucked a Lizalfos away that came close to biting a white unicorn that I assumed to be Rarity. "And get yer filthy claws off her, ya scaly varmints!"

"You girls…" the unicorn said. "You're here… you came all the way here to save me?"

"What kind of question is that?" Rainbow asked. "Of course we do! Well, Link and Daring Do as well, as it turns out. Hey, Daring! Miss me?"

Daring Do grunted as she was pummeled by the fist of a strange creature. "I thought I told you that Daring Do doesn't need any help." She and Dash then attacked the creature at the same time with a double dive kick. "But it's good to know you still don't care about that," she smirked. "You're just in time to help me kick Ahuizotl's tail. Took you some time to get here, though."

"Sorry, you know how it is. Crowdy skies, stormy sea, a sea monster that wants to eat me and 30 minute desert trek while listening to AJ's whining about how hot it is."

"Hey, YOU were the one who complained, not me!" Applejack shouted from the other side of the battlefield.

"Well, I must side with Rainbow Dash on this one," Rarity said as she poked an enemy with her horn. "The desert is dreadfully hot."

"Enough!" Ahuizotl roared as he grabbed Rainbow Dash by her tail and threw her into Daring Do, so the two pegasi fell to the ground, completely dazed.

"Ouch… Rainbow, your head is harder than it looks," Daring mumbled.

"Oh yeah? Well, you have… huh? Daring, why do you have my cutie mark?"

"Why are you looking there at a time like this?" Daring snapped.

"I can't help it!" Rainbow protested. "That idiot threw me in a position where I can't look anywhere but there."

"So you're saying I have a big plot?"

"At last, I will have my revenge!" Ahuizotl laughed as he towered over the two pegasi. "Say your prayers, Daring Do… hey!"

A trio of tiny fillies jumped at him at once, clinging to his neck, tail and legs.

"Leave my sister alone, you big meanie!" Sweetie Belle said.

"Ya stupid scaly thing, yer even dumber than Diamond Tiara!" Apple Bloom added.

"For Rainbow Dash and Daring Do!" Scootaloo shouted.

"Aaaah! Get them off me!" Ahuizotl shouted as he tried to pry the fillies off, but to no avail. "Get them ooooooff! Ow! Ow! Ow! No, not the face! Let go of my tail, you little… YEEEEEOOOOOOOOWWWW!" He screamed as Sweetie Belle bit down on his tail. "Wait! Please! Stop! I surrender! I surrender, but please make it stoooooop!"

"Yaaaaaay!" the crusaders shouted as one.

"Look, Rarity," Sweetie Belle said. "We beat the evil monster."

"I… see it," Rarity said as she looked down at the tormented form of Ahuizotl. For a moment, she wasn't sure if the should be angry at him or feel sorry for him.

"Hah! That's a laugh!" Daring chuckled. "The great Ahuizotl, beaten by a bunch of kids. I think that's a good story for my next book."

Ahuizotl paled. "You wouldn't DARE write about such a humiliating defeat!"

"Hey, I'm the author. I can write what I want," she grinned.

While all of this was going on, I defeated the last of the Lizalfos with a powerful kick. "Looks like that's the last of them," I said. "Or are there any more?"

"Not unless you count a slightly battered unicorn stallion with an absolutely horrible sense of style," Rarity said. "By the way… who are you?"

"Rarity, meet my mom," Applejack smiled. "And you must be Link," she said to the Hylian turned pony. "A mighty big honor, meeting one of mom's best friends. I'd shake yer hoof, but I can see that's not probably a good idea right now."

"My best friend, Link. My daughters, Applejack and Apple Bloom…" I pointed my hoof at the filly while she was using her bow to tie up Ahuizotl's mouth. "And their friends. Now that the introductions are out of the way, can we finally get out of here?"

"Not until I found that horned coward," Link muttered. "I've still got some unfinished business with him."

"You're hardly in any position to deal with evil ponies or persons right now, Link," I frowned. "Take a look at your leg. You were being careless, weren't you? Now what would Malon say if she saw you like this?"

"She'd probably cuddle me for hours and try to brush my mane," Link grumbled.

"Point taken. But still, you're in no condition to fight. Why don't we all take a rest, get rid of this mess…" I pointed at all the motionless bodies lying around. "And get each other up to date on what's going on."

"And let Twinklehooves get away?" Daring Do asked. "I'm with Link, we shouldn't give him any chance to get away."

"Yeah, what they said!" Rainbow cheered, even though she couldn't have any idea who this 'twinklehooves' was.

"Take a look around, y'all," Applejack said. "We're dirty, hungry, exhausted and injured. We've got three fillies with us and we didn't get to rest ever since we've finished that trek through the desert."

Link took a look around. I could tell he wanted to jump right back into action. He always does. But he wasn't on his own for once. He couldn't make the decisions for all of them. And on top of it, he didn't even have a bottled fairy to heal his wounds.

"All right," he grunted. "Let's rest for now." And that was when his weak legs gave up underneath him. I was at his side instantly when he fell down.

"You stubborn Hylian," I sighed. "You just can't go one day without having to play the hero, can you?"


	19. Friendship between Princesses

We did it. We found our friends. Now all we had to do was go home together. If it only was that easy…

And then there was a small part of me that still wondered which home I was talking about, Hyrule or Equestria.

I pushed that thought away from me as far as possible. That had to wait. We had much bigger problems at hand. Or hoof.

Rarity just finished putting a bandage on Link's injured leg. "There you go," she said. "That should help. Of course, I'm not as good in first aid as Fluttershy, but it will do the job for now."

"Thanks, Rarity," Link said. "I appreciate it."

She smiled. "Anything for the brave stallion who pulled us through all that danger. Even if you really aren't a stallion."

"Hey, and what about me?" Daring complained while Rainbow Dash helped her with her own injuries. One of her wings was bruised pretty bad during her fight with Ahuizotl. She winced as Rainbow Dash pulled a bit too hard on the bandages. "Hey, careful!"

"Well, stop struggling so much," Rainbow said. "Honestly, how often can a pegasus hurt her wings like you do? This is becoming a bad habit of yours."

"Sounds like you've been through some trouble together," I said. "What did those guys want from you?"

"We… wanted to sacrifice the sages and take revenge on the Hero of Time," Lotus said calmly.

I almost forgot those two were in the room as well. I still could not imagine why the kidnappers would bother taking along the two spa owners, alongside Link and Rarity. Wait a minute… what did she just say?

"Excuse me?" Applejack asked with a frown. "What d'ya mean, 'we'? Y'all ain't no kidnappers, Lotus… or are ya?"

"Stop it, Lotus," Aloe said. "We are not like them. We made some mistakes, but we actually gave them the wrong information. We said Rarity was one of the sages to keep her alive."

"Maybe you did that, sis," Lotus muttered. "I did nothing of the sort. Until the point where you convinced me to side with… them," She gestured Link and the rest of us. "I was ready to do everything Ghirahim asked of us, if only it meant we could get our revenge."

"What exactly are you two talking about?" Rainbow asked in confusion. She looked back and forth between the twins and Link. "Did you meet before?"

"That's impossible, this is the first time Link has ever visited Equestria," I said.

"Actually, we do know them, Epona," Link said. "At least the people they were before their reincarnation. They're Twinrova."

Everything was silent for a moment. My family and their friends were just confused, but I stared at the two twins that looked nothing like the ugly hags from Hyrule. At first, I didn't want to believe it. But then I saw the red and blue crystals in their headbands. "No way…" I whispered with disbelief. But then disbelief turned into acceptance. Acceptance turned into anger. And anger turned into rage.

"YOU!" I shouted as jumped in front of them. Aloe nervously scooted backwards, while her sister defiantly stood in place. "After all you two did, you have the nerve to come back? Does Link have to send your sorry hides back to Tartarus again? I'll gladly help him this time around!"

"Please, stop it," Rarity said. "It's not what you think. Aloe and Lotus are my longtime friends."

"Friends? You've got to be kidding if you honestly believe that these two want to be friends with anyone," I shouted.

"Epona, that's enough!" Link said firmly.

"But they are…"

"I said enough," he shouted, pushing himself to his feet, in spite of his injuries. "It doesn't matter who Aloe and Lotus used to be in a former life. They are what they are now, and they decided to help us."

"She has a point…" Lotus sighed. "After all, we were the ones who brought them here."

"Ony to protect them, Demise would have killed them on the spot," Aloe protested.

"Again, you're talking about yourself. I've been blindfolded by my desire for vengeance that I didn't care about what would happen to them. Even to Miss Rarity…" Lotus lowered her head. "I deserve every bit of anger and spite."

"Please, all we ask for is another chance," Aloe pleaded. "I promise, neither she nor I will try anything deceitful ever again."

"Likely story!" I snorted.

Rainbow fluttered closer to the nervous Aloe and carefully looked at her from different angles. She then turned her head. "Applejack… what do you think?"

"Hmmm… doesn't sound to me like she's lying. I think she's being real honest about this."

I gasped as I looked at my daughter. "You can't be serious! You're telling me you actually believe her?"

"Mom, I was chosen as the Element of Honesty," Applejack calmly told me. "Call it intuition, but I have a sense for whether ponies are tellin' the truth. And no, we can't be 100% sure if she's lyin' or not, but right now, we have no choice but to trust her. I'm still having trouble grasping the fact that they are supposed to be some sort of reincarnated bad guys. And you might know their bad guys personas better than I do. But I've known them for a long time since they lived in Ponyville, Mom. And there was no lie about their friendliness and hospitality I saw whenever I paid their spa a visit. And believe me, I was there often, even before Rainbow and Twilight moved to Ponyville."

Rainbow Dash snorted. "You… you actually were a regular at the spa, AJ? Really?"

"And why in tarnation is that a problem, Dash?" Applejack shouted. "After a day of hard work on the field, a mare likes to enjoy some time to relax. And the spa is just the spot to do so."

"But you've never told me about that, Applejack," Rarity said with surprise.

Applejack snortd. "Course not! I know perfectly well what would have happened if I told you I like to go to the spa. You would've dragged me along every time you went there to let them pamper you, with all the unnessecary things I can live without, such as mud masks and stuff. No, thank you."

"Let's get back on topic," Daring Do said. "I still wanna know what this sage business is all about. And can anypony explain to me why my cutie mark changed?" She looked back at the lightning bolt on her flank, which still looked remarkably like the one on Rainbow's behind, except that it looked like a ruby instead of a rainbow. "I've had that compass rose for a pretty long time of my life, and it always showed me that being an explorer and adventurer was part of my destiny. Are you telling me that it was all fake?"

"I'd like to hear more about that, too," Link nodded. He looked at Aloe and Lotus. "And if you really want us to trust you, you can prove your loyalty by telling us more about that."

Lotus sighed. "All right, I guess that's only fair. First of all, there are seven sages in Hyrule. They help protect Hyrule from darkness and the forces of evil, but they rarely have an active role in saving the kingdom. That usually is the hero's job. But the sages are helping him with guidance, advice and by lending him their spiritual power. But you two already know that." She nodded towards Link and me.

"But wait a minute. Are you saying the sages are like us, the six elements?" Rainbow asked.

"Rainbow Dash, did you not listen?" Rarity said. "She just told us that the sages don't take active roles. And what do we do whenever there's danger in Equestria? We jump into action, either on Celestia's orders or on our own."

"Yeah, even if we had to give up the elements to that tree, I'm always willing to fight for the right thing," Applejack nodded.

"All right, so I guess that makes us the heroes," Rainbow shrugged. "I can live with that. But what about the sages?"

"The sages' destinies awaken at some point on their life," Aloe continued. "Mostly at a point when their help is needed. Then their cutie mark transforms and shows them the element they are representing as a sage. And no, it will not be always like this. Your cutie mark will turn back to normal, given some time."

"Now that's a relief," Daring sighed.

"And how do you know that?" I asked with skepticism. "It's not like the sages in Hyrule have cutie marks, right?"

"True, but we've studied the matter intensely, even before we were reborn as ponies," Lotus said. "As we already told Link, the elders of the Gerudo knew all along that our tribe originally came from Equestria. So of course we would, as the masters of lore, know about cutie marks."

"But why the Element of Loyalty?" Daring asked, looking back at her rump. "Don't get this the wrong way, I'm always willing to help friends, but… I can't really remember a point in my life where I've shown an especially big sign of loyalty. In fact, I've always traveled alone on all my adventures. Rainbow Dash's help was the first one I accepted in years."

"Aw yeah, I'm so special," Rainbow grinned.

"You misunderstand," Aloe said. "It's not you who has to embody the true virtue of the element, but the bearer instead. The reason why you were chosen is because you are an important person in her life."

"An important… what?" Daring was taken aback. She glanced back to Rainbow. "Um… I'm honored and all, but… is that true? I mean, there must be certainly more suitable ponies for the job. Your family, your friends…"

"Sorry, but all my friends already have the job of hero," Rainbow smirked. "And that means they can't be sage at the same time, right?" She looked to Aloe, who nodded. "See? And while I love my dad and everything, I don't think he'd make a very good sage. No offense, Dad!" she shouted in the vague direction of Cloudsdale.

"And what about the wonderbolts?" Rarity asked. "They've been your idols for years. You've been striving to join them long before you even read your first Daring Do book."

"Yeah, that's true," Rainbow said. "And I still dream of being as skilled and famous as them some day. But with Daring, it's an entirely different story. I admire her not just because she's super cool and awesome and strong… she's all that too, don't get me wrong. But did you ever read her books? She does what she's doing not because she wants to be rich or famous or better than anypony else… she's doing it because it's the right thing to do. Right?" She smiled at Daring.

Daring chuckled. "I guess that's right. On my travels, I often come across secrets that can't be shared with anypony. But there are also dangers that somepony needs to take care of. And if I can't tell others about it, I just have to do it on my own."

"See?" Rainbow grinned from ear to ear. "That's why admire you! And that's why I believe that nopony is better suited to be the Sage of Loyalty than you." She gave the adventurer a hoofbump.

"I guess that makes sense," Daring smiled. "I suppose that means from now on I have a helper, anytime I need someone to stop Ahuizotl's evil plans. After all, you're the hero and I'm the sage."

She looked down at the bound and gagged form of Ahuizotl, who was being used as a couch by the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Don't you agree, old boy?"

An incomprehensible mumble came out of his gagged muzzle, accompanied by a glare of contempt.

* * *

"I don't believe it…" Ghirahim mumbled to himself as he ran along the corridor. He could have easily teleported instead of running, but he needed to let off some steam. "Those upstarts… they think they can stand against me. Just like the first hero… those mortals don't know their place… I will crush them all… if I have to bring the whole place down on them…"

Before long, he was back in the ritual chamber. There still was a chance of winning this. Ahuizotl and the witches weren't at his disposal anymore? That didn't matter. It would take the witches a long time until they reached the power level they had during Ganondorf's reign. And Ahuizotl was useless. He was good as a pawn, but not necessary in the end. The biggest problem was that the hero wasn't alone anymore. He had allies who helped him in battle. That was unheard of!

"What I need…" mumbled the demon lord to himself. "Is a monster so big and powerful that it can dispose of them all at once. The hero might survive, but as long as it keeps him busy until I bring the sage back here and finish the ritual…"

He bowed down in front of the altar and started chanting again. Soon enough, the shimmering form of the shadow horse appeared back in front of him.

"Oh great master!" Ghirahim shouted. "I must inform you that the ritual has been interrupted. Infidels have invaded the temple and fought back my minions."

The shadow horse looked down at him. _"You mean, you failed."_

Ghirahim chuckled nervously. In all these millenia he lived, the only creature that ever managed to instill something like fear or even nervousness within him was his evil master. He could be terrible in his wrath, and while he would never destroy his most faithful servant, he could be… difficult.

But nothing horrible happened. The shadow horse gave Ghirahim a bemused smile, that was all. Quickly, to make use of his master's good mood, Ghirahim said: "I wouldn't say failed, great master. Bestow on me a monster so terrifying, that its mere presence makes mortals tremble. Then the ritual will be finished before sunset."

_"That will not be necessary."_

Ghirahim looked up at his master with astonishment. "B-but… my great master! We can still salvage this situation. I don't have to flee. Just give me a chance and I promise you I will…"

_"You misunderstand, my sword,"_ the shadow horse said calmly. _"I don't want you to flee, I want you to… retreat, for now. Everything that should have happened has happened today."_

Ghirahim was baffled. That didn't happen often either. "I… am afraid I don't understand, master."

_"Yes, that much is clear,"_ the shadow horse said with amusement in his voice. _"You are confused, aren't you? You are wondering if I have lost my mind. The first sage is in my grasp and yet I decide to let her go? What in hell and Tartarus might I be thinking?"_ He chuckled. _"But believe me, my sword. All of this is part of a bigger plan. It didn't matter that the unicorn was the wrong sage. It didn't even matter that their friends came to save them. All that matters is that the sage's destiny has awakened to her."_

Ghirahim's eyes widened. "The mark on her backside… that was your intention all along, master? But the seal…"

_"Cannot be broken by only one sage alone, you know that as much as I do," the shadow horse said. "We found the first sage and revealed to her her destiny. You have done well. But she isn't enough. We will need all of Equestria's sages. Find them, one after another. And when they all are ready for the harvest, we shall strike!"_

"Yes, master!" Ghirahim's voice trembled with awe. His master truly was the only one brilliant enough to come up with such an ingenious plan. "I shall do as you command." He then took a quick look around. "But what about the altar? The ritual chamber?"

_"It is only an altar,"_ the shadow horse said. _"One that we don't need at the moment. You can always return when the intruders have left this place. And in case they decide to come back, even with guards or soldiers, there are more than enough mystic places in this world that can be used."_

"So these ruins were just…"

The shadow horse grinned. _"A ruse to lure the witches here. I know they could have never resisted having their revenge in the ancestral home of their forefathers. It is very surprising to me that their Equestrian souls are strong enough to resist the destiny of their Hyrulean past, but it is of no matter to us. Go and find the rest of the sages."_

"Yes, master!" Ghirahim bowed and disappeared.

* * *

Maud Pie was standing at her family's stand on the market place of Canterlot. Her pet rock Boulder was lying next to her. Every now and then, she slightly nudged some of her wares, to make them seem more aesthetically pleasing. Nevertheless, business was running slow. Apparently, not too many ponies around here were interested in buying rocks.

"I don't understand ponies these days, Boulder," Maud said in her most disappointing-sounding voice. A regular citizen of Canterlot wouldn't have been able to tell the difference compared to her normal voice.

Boulder said nothing.

But then, a customer appeared. The gentlefellow looked like a buffalo, but made of rocks. Maud couldn't help but internally swoon at his rugged handsomeness. On the outside, she kept her same stoic expression. And suddenly, her sister Pinkie popped out from behind the rock buffalo.

"Hiya, Maud!" Pinkie shouted cheerfully. "I knew I'd meet you here today. How are Mom and Pops, Inkie and Blinkie?"

"Hello, Pinkie," Maud said in her monotone voice. "I am happy to see you. Mother and Father are fine, as are Marble and Limestone."

"Hey, I brought a friend who's interested in Pie stone wares. Maud, this is my new pal Darunia. Darunia, this is my older sister Maud."

The buffalo smiled. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Charmed," Maud said.

'Oh my gosh, he's so handsome,' her internal excitement cried.

"Well now, I see you have some nice wares here," Darunia said while looking at her rocks. "A fine assortment, really. Reminds me of Goron handcrafting. What is that over there?" He pointed at a dark grey stone the size of a grapefruit.

"It's a paper weight," Maud explained.

"Ah, I see. And that one next to it?"

"That's a doorstop."

"I see, I see. And the big one in the back?"

"It's a rock stool. You can sit on it."

"You don't say! A bit on the small side, though. Do you sell them in bigger sizes?"

"We sell rocks of all sizes," Maud explained.

"How fascinating!" Darunia seemed truly interested. "What about this little one?" He pointed his hoof at Boulder.

"That is my pet. He's not for sale."

"I understand," Darunia nodded. "Well, Miss Pinkie, your family sure seems to be gifted in the process of growing and crafting rocks, that much is clear."

Pinkie beamed proudly at the compliment. "Awww, thanks. It's a family tradition, you know? I know quite a bit about rocks, too, but I've always been better at baking pastries."

"Speaking of which, I'm getting quite hungry," Darunia said. His stomach started grumbling, which almost sounded like an avalanche. "You don't sell, by any chance, rock sirloin here?"

Maud stared at him. "We are ponies. We don't eat meat."

"Of course, of course. I didn't think. But do you have anything else?"

"Well…" Maud pointed at a bowl filled with the most colorful assortment of pebbles. "We have rock candy."

Darunia looked at the bowl. "Do you now? Color me intrigued."

At another stand, Ruto was inspecting several plastic bottles, aligned in a row. The salesmare behind the counter was quite nervous when the seapony started sniffing every single one of them.

"What is this?" Ruto scowled. "Mane shampoo? Coat cleaner? I don't need any of that. Don't you have any scale care products?"

"T-terribly sorry, m-ma'am," the salesmare muttered. "But these are standard p-products… I have n-never met a pony with s-scales before."

"Hmph!" Ruto snorted. "Some range of products you've got… I left my kingdom more than ten hours ago, and as a princess, I want to look presentable. Do you see my scales? They are getting all dusty and dull. I need some polish to brighten them up."

"Um, excuse me," Fluttershy spoke up. "But I have some lotions and ointments at home in my cottage which I sometimes use on my more… scaly patients. My friend Spike likes to use them too, from time to time. Would you like to take a look at them? Um, that is… if you want to…"

"That would be absolutely WONDERFUL!" Ruto gasped. "Dearest Fluttershy, you are the kindest person I have met ever since I've set foot in this strange world of four-legged creatures."

"Thanks… I guess?" Fluttershy muttered.

Twilight smiled as she saw how her friends were getting along with the guests from Hyrule. "It looks like your friends are enjoying themselves," she told Zelda, who was standing next to her. "I'm very glad."

"Me too," Zelda nodded. "Seeing this gives me hope that an alliance between our two worlds will be beneficial to all of us. But I must say, now I'm getting a bit hungry myself."

"Shall we go to Donut Joe's?" Twilight suggested. "He makes the best donuts in all of Equestria, I've visited his shop quite a lot when I still lived in Canterlot."

"A… donut?" Zelda wondered. "I've never heard of a delicacy with that name, but I'm always interested in trying out food from foreign countries."

"Then let's go, I'm starving as well. And don't worry, it's my treat." They walked across the plaza and the ponies respectfully made way as they saw their status as alicorns, as well as their crowns. Twilight noticed that ponies treated her with much more respect when she was wearing her royal regalia. Maybe the fact that she had both a horn and wings was quickly overlooked. Or maybe ponies simply could not imagine that a princess would mingle with the common crowd. Even now, some unicorns that looked like they belonged to the upper class of Canterlot had expressions of shock on their faces when they saw the two princesses entering a donut shop. But Twilight didn't care about that. Right now, she was in the mood for a nice donut filled with grape jelly.

Donut Joe smiled when he saw his favorite customer entering his store. "Twilight Sparkle! It's been some time. What can I bring you and your friend?"

"Hello, Joe," Twilight waved. "One grape jelly donut, please. What would you like, your Highness?"

"Please, call me Zelda," she said. "And I don't know… everything here looks and smells so delicious. I guess I'll have what she's having, for now."

"Two grape jelly donuts, coming right up," Joe grinned.

Zelda sighed as she looked around. "I'm really enjoying this. Spending some time with a fellow princess, not having to worry about royal duties… You know, I was so uncertain if all of this would actually turn out okay… I'm so relieved it did."

"You were nervous?" Twilight asked. "That surprises me. When I first saw you, I had the impression that you were quite confident about everything."

"I learned to mask my true feelings," Zelda said. "But to tell you the truth, I am still quite inexperienced as a leader, a diplomat or even a princess. My father still makes the most decisions back in our kingdom. When I told him about my plans to go to Equestria, I was afraid he'd forbid it. I sometimes feel like I'm living in his shadow."

"I know what you mean," Twilight nodded with a heavy sigh. "I've been crowned a princess not too long ago and I'm still getting used to everything. Ponies seeing my crown and wings, bowing wherever I go… and still, I feel like they only see Celestia's student in me. And to be honest, I can't even compare myself to her. After all, she has hundreds of years of experience. The only princess I can compare myself to is Cadance. And I love her, not just because she's my sister-in-law and my former foalsitter, but also as a good friend. But she is still more experienced than I am."

"It will come in time," Zelda said. "At least you have a friend. Back in Hyrule, my only close confidants are Link and Impa… I've never met a girl of my age I could befriend, much less another princess. There's Ruto, but she and I… don't exacly get along well." She didn't mention the fact that Ruto was jealous of her because of her close relationship with Link. The issue was complicated enough even without romances.

"Well, you have me now," Twilight said. "I've only known you for one day, but I still think you're a very nice pony. Person, I mean… What I mean is, I enjoyed our time together."

"I had fun as well, Twilight," Zelda smiled. "What do you say? Interested in becoming inter-dimensional penpals?"

"I'd love to," Twilight said as she gave the other princess a hug. Zelda was surprised at this sudden show of affection, but she had to admit she rather liked it. In the end, she returned the hug.

"There you go, princesses," Joe then said. "Your donuts, fresh from the oven, befitting a royal tongue." He laughed heartily.

"Thank you," Zelda said as she let go of Twilight to take a careful bite of the offered pastry. Her eyes then widened. "By Din's sacred flame… this is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted."

"I knew you'd like it," Twilight giggled.

Suddenly, Saria came running into the shop. The small filly was panting heavily. "Zelda… there you are… I've been searching for you everywhere."

"Calm down, Saria, what's the matter?" Zelda asked.

"It's Link!" Saria said. "I've been sitting at the fountain in the middle of the plaza, playing my fairy ocarina… when all of a sudden, I heard Link's voice. He was playing the Ocarina of Time, contacting me with the song I taught him. And he wanted me to tell you... he's safe. But he and his new friends are now stuck in the middle of the desert, on another continent. And the ship they used to get there was sunk by a monster. Also, they are running out of food and water. They need help!"

"Oh no!" Zelda gasped. "That's terrible news. I mean, it's good to hear he's okay, but something needs to be done."

Twilight jumped off her chair. "I'm such a numbskull," she said. "I totally forgot that I wanted to go after them, to help them. And then all that drama with Nabooru and Princess Luna happened and I completely forgot about it… I need to fly, now! I need to help them."

"I'll go with you," Zelda said. Both Saria and Twilight looked at her with disbelief.

"Really? You want to go out into the wild and search for Link?" Saria blurted out.

Zelda nodded. "Yes! I've been an inactive spectator for too long, always sitting idly in my castle and letting Link do all the work to save our kingdom. It's about time I did something for him, too. And now that I've got wings, I don't see why I shouldn't use them."

"Well, you're welcome to come along," Twilight said. "I'm just not sure if it's a good idea to fly across the ocean. You didn't get a lot of chances to use your new wings yet, after all."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll be fine once you show me how it's done," Zelda chuckled. "How difficult can it be?"


	20. A gateway back home

After taking a short rest, we carefully made our way back into the ritual chamber. To our relief, the demon unicorn Link, Rarity and Daring had told us about seemed to be gone.

"Good riddance, I'd say," Link said. "At least he left my shield and sword here." He looked very satisfied when he took back his weapons. I had to smirk when I saw a bit of envy in my daughter's eyes, as she watched how easily Link handled the sword and shield, even as an earth pony.

"So… what are we going to do now?" Scootaloo asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Rainbow Dash grinned. "We go home, of course."

"Easier said than done, Rainbow," Applejack said. "We ain't exactly got a boat anymore. We're stuck in the middle of the desert, our supplies are runnin' out and we have no idea where to go."

"Well, I know the way to the next town," Daring Do said. "Still, I don't think we have nearly enough food or water as we need for no less than nine ponies."

"I don't suppose you know any more magic spells that can help us out, Link?" Rarity asked hopefully. "Like, a spell that teleports us directly to Ponyville?"

"Doubt it," Link frowned. "The only teleportation songs I know are for places in Hyrule, and I don't think they would work here."

"Besides," Sweetie Belle pointed out. "Twilight said that teleportation is an extremely difficult spell that puts a lot of strain on the user, and the longer the distance is, the more difficult it gets. And it should only be used by skilled magic users."

"How do you know that much about teleportation, Sweetie?" Rarity asked in surprise. "When did Twilight tell you this?"

Sweetie grinned. "Twilight Time!"

"But there's still something we can do," Epona said. "The song of storms, Link. We can always summon rainwater, so we have something to refresh and drink."

"Whoa, whoa!" Rainbow shouted. "You can't just summon rain like that. Besides, there's not a single cloud in the sky. And for rain, you need water. I learned that much in flight school."

"Before dropping out, you mean," Rarity said.

Rainbow grumbled. "Do you have to bring that up now? The point is, there's no way a song can make rainclouds appear out of nowhere."

"But it can," Link said. "And I know it works in the desert, I used it near the desert colossus in Hyrule and it filled up an entire oasis. So that's one way for us to survive the trip. But maybe we don't even have to make that trip."

"Well, we need to get out of here somehow," Daring said.

"True, but first let me try another song. Using Saria's Song, I can contact Navi. Maybe she can tell someone where we are and get us some help."

"Yeah, that's right," Applejack said. "She can tell Twilight to come here and get us."

"I'm actually surprised she isn't here already," Rainbow muttered. "Didn't she want to come after us?"

"It's worth a try," I nodded. "Do it, Link."

So Link took the ocarina and started playing. Not before long, the familiar tune was echoing through the room.

Rarity sighed. "All of these Hyrulean songs sound so beautiful…"

"Yeah, I'd like to come up with a nice text for this one," Sweetie Belle agreed.

After a while, Link stopped playing and looked down at the ocarina in irritation. "What? What in Farore's name is that supposed to mean?"

"What's wrong, Link?" I asked.

He looked at me with disbelief. "It says: 'Your conversation partner is currently unavailable. Please try again later.' Can you believe that?"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders and Rainbow Dash started snickering, and even Applejack had to chuckled. "Sounds like not even magical instruments can be trusted to work all the time."

"I'll try it again," Link grumbled. He played the tune once more.

"Well?" I asked once he put down the ocarina. "Did it work?"

"Yes," he said. "But… I didn't reach Navi. I reached Saria. And she… apparently, she's in Equestria at the moment. As are Zelda and all the other sages. What in the world are they doing there?"

I shrugged. "Maybe looking for you? Hey, I'm willing to believe that at least Zelda, Saria and Ruto are willing to cross dimensions just to see you." A small snicker escaped me.

"Very funny, Epona," my girl magnet companion frowned. "Anyways, she said she's telling your Princess Twilight to get us."

"That's a relief," Applejack sighed. "Now all we have to do is wait for her."

"Yeah, as long as she doesn't crash into the ocean," Rainbow said.

"Oh hush, Rainbow!" Rarity sternly said. "You know her flying got much better ever since you started training her."

"I still don't see how that's going to help us get back to Ponyville," I said. "Even if alicorns and pegasi can fly across the ocean, the rest of us can't. And on top of that, Daring's wing is hurt, so we only have two pegasi that can fly here."

Scootaloo winced. "Actually…"

"I'm sure Twilight will come up with some way for all of us to get home, Mom," Applejack said. "Nopony's as good with magic than this gal. And she knows a lot of stuff, she's a regular bookworm. Trust me, she'll find a way."

"If you say so… and what do we do with these guys when we leave?" I gestured at the bound and gagged form of Ahuizotl, then at the door behind which we locked away all the Lizalfos. Some of them must have regained consciousness, as we could already hear some of them hissing, snarling and clawing at the door from the other side. I know Link wouldn't have any qualms of killing them on the spot and I kind of had to agree with him. These creatures would not hesitate to rip you apart, their intelligence did not stop them from being one of the most vicious species native to Hyrule. But Applejack and the others protested and insisted we simply lock them away.

"I want to take Ahuizotl along," Daring said. "I want him to be locked in Canterlot's dungeons once and for all. He's been a nuisance for far too long."

"I agree," Rarity nodded. "And I'm very sure Celestia would as well. She wishes nothing more than the safety of her subjects."

"But what about them lizards?" Applejack asked. "I dunno if Twilight can take a whole dozen of these creeps along. Not to mention all those that are still waitin' for us out there. And honestly, I doubt there's enough room in the Canterlot dungeons for all of them."

"Just leave them here," Link grunted.

"How can you say that?" Rarity gasped. "Uncivilized or not, these are still living, thinking creatures. And if we leave them here in the desert, they might die."

"I seriously doubt it," Aloe said. Again, I nearly forgot those two were here as well. Maybe I just didn't want to think about them for the moment. They were mostly sitting in one corner of the room and kept quiet. "Those creatures can survive the most intense temperatures. In fact, they thrive on it. They mostly live in the desert, or even in the hot caverns of a volcano."

"They're right, that's where I fought most of them," Link snorted. "Believe me, the only good way to ensure a Lizalfos' death is to put a sword through it's body."

His words put everypony in the room into various degrees of shock. Rainbow seemed only mildly bothered by it, while the children and Rarity seemed downright horrified. The only pony who didn't seem to mind at all was Daring Do. I could imagine she had similar experiences as Link in her life as an adventurer.

"W-well… if you really think they are going to be okay, I guess we can leave them here," Rarity murmured. Her view of Link as a noble hero was obviously tarnished by his willingness to kill.

So we waited. There wasn't really a lot we could do except making sure our prisoners wouldn't break free, or that the Lizalfos from outside wouldn't swarm in and overwhelm us. The three fillies hung around their sisters… in Scootaloo's case, it was Rainbow Dash. Apparently, I was right. She did look up to the multi-colored pegasus, and Rainbow herself was pretty fond of the kid as well. Sweetie Belle and Rarity also seemed to have a loving relationship as sisters, even though they teased each other every now and then. But I guess that's what's expected when looking at sisters.

As for Apple Bloom and Applejack, I was very proud to see that my teachings of the importance of family had stayed firm within their hearts. Again I realized just how glad I was to finally be a part of this family again.

All of this made me think of my own sister, though, and I started feeling a bit guilty. All these years I've been angry with Clementine, just because I was unable to cope with my past. At least now she and I would have the chance to start over. Our two daughters being bests of friends would certainly help a lot.

I looked over to Aloe and Lotus. Those two were sisters, too. Twins, even. Did that create some sort of strong bond between them. After all, Lotus seemed willing to agree on a truce, even after she was so eager to take her revenge on Link. But she only agreed after Aloe pleaded for it. So was staying with her sister more important to her than revenge? Still, I couldn't trust them yet, despite their new forms and despite their promises. I decided to keep a close eye on them.

The hours passed, and to be honest, I wasn't sure just how long we actually waited here, in this room. We ate the last of our rations, but didn't talk a lot. The most important things were already said, and the rest could be discussed once we were back in Ponyville, safe and sound. Link, Applejack and Rainbow Dash took turns guarding Ahuizotl while Rarity and I took care of the kids.

Then, my ears started twitching. Did I hear something? I looked upwards, to the ceiling.

Apple Bloom, who was about to doze off in my lap, raised her head and asked sleepily: "What's the matter, Mom?"

"I dunno…" I muttered. "I thought I heard something up there…"

There it was again, this time a lot louder. It sounded like something crashed into the ceiling. We all looked up, then Rarity and Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, it wasn't me!" she shouted and waved her hooves and wings defensively.

Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed. Or at least parts of it. We quickly jumped out of the way when several sandstone bricks came falling down, followed by a winged body I couldn't identify this quickly.

After the dust settled, we all saw a twitching mess of fur and feathers lying on the ground. "Owwww…" a familiar voice groaned. "That could have gone better."

A purple head looked down through the hole in the roof. "Oh my gosh! Are you all right?"

"I'll live…" the pony lying on the ground muttered as she stumbled to her feet and we got our first clean look at her. The purple pony from above came fluttering down and stood next to her. My eyes widened when I recognized her, especially her cutie mark, an exact replica of the royal crest of Hyrule.

"Twilight!" Applejack, Rainbow and Rarity shouted.

"ZELDA!" Link and I gasped.

"Th-the princess?" Aloe and Lotus muttered. Zelda's appearance had obviously made both of them pretty nervous.

Zelda smiled at us. "Oh, hello Link, Epona. Good to see you're okay."

"Wh-what are you DOING here?" Link stuttered. "I mean, Saria told me you'd be here in Equestria, but why are you HERE?" He looked at her body more closely. "And why do you look like this?"

The princess of Hyrule being an alicorn wasn't really was surprised me the most. Neither were the light pink fur and the blonde mane and tail. But instead, it was the fact that her whole body was covered with water and sand at the same time. She looked like she flew through a waterspout, followed by a sandstorm.

"Oh, that," she muttered. "It's nothing, really… I just flew into a sand dune a couple of times… and landed in the water while we were crossing the ocean… once or twice…"

"Actually, it was eight times," Twilight frowned. "And I'm surprised it wasn't more. I told you it wasn't a good idea for you to come along if you've never flown before in your life."

"Say what?" Rainbow gasped. "You're telling me that you crossed the ocean, not just by yourself, but as a NEWBIE? Wow, I'm impressed! Twilight, this girl might be a much faster learner than you."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Twilight glowered.

"Still, what were you thinking?" Link asked. "You never leave the castle!"

"Are you saying I can't take care of myself?" Zelda asked, looking as upset as Twilight.

"Well, excuuuse me, princess, but you are not exactly an adventurer. You are… well… a princess," Link said.

"And what's THAT supposed to mean?" Twilight snapped. She sounded like she was really getting angry."

"Hey, princesses are perfectly capable of taking things into their own hands… or hooves," Zelda grumbled.

"You'll get used to it, sugarcube," Applejack said to Link. "After all, we couldn't believe it ourselves that our egghead pal Twilight would win fifth place in the Running of the Leaves race."

"EXCUSE ME?" Twilight shouted.

By now, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were rolling around on the floor laughing, while Rarity and I couldn't resist a few giggles either.

"Um… I say we should get going now," I snickered. "Before the princesses have to strangle somepony. Do your Highnesses have a good idea how we can return back to Ponyville?"

Twilight took a few deep breaths until she was calm enough to respond. "Actually, yes, I have. It's a portal spell. A highly advanced spell I found in one of Starswirl the Bearded's old books."

"Of course," Applejack rolled her eyes.

"It opens a one-way gateway to any place the spellcaster has visited before. But it needs a lot of magical energy. Which means, a single unicorn would probably unable to cast this spell all by herself. That's why usually, this is a spell that is used in a group. Now, an ancient and experienced alicorn like Princess Celestia would probably be able to do this on her own, but I don't think I can do that just yet. But thankfully, I have another alicorn here that can help me."

"Me?" Zelda asked in a surprised voiced. "But I'm really not that good with magic yet… I'm still struggling with the ones Rauru is teaching me. Whenever I use Farore's Wind, I can only teleport short distances. And when I cast Din's Fire, I can make only a small fireball appear, instead of a destructive wall of flames."

"It's not that complicated," Twilight smiled reassuringly. "It just needs a lot of magic. At least give it a try."

"So wait a minute… that means from now on, we can always go to where we want, in the blink of an eye, provided we've been there before?" Rainbow asked. "And all we need are Twilight and one other alicorn?"

"Well… no," Twilight said. "Unfortunately, the spell can only be cast a limited amount of times."

"What? Why?"

"See, the spell's magical pattern is interwoven with arcane interferences which makes it impossible to extend its natural perpetuation period, which is common for spells out of the pre-unicornian proliferation era…"

My head started to spin upon listening to Twilight's speech. Half of the words didn't even make sense to me. Now I realized why her friends were calling her a bookworm or egghead all the time. Rainbow seemed to feel the same, as she pleaded: "Spare us, Twilight! Just give us the answer in good, clean Equestrian."

"Fine!" she huffed. "The details are actually very fascinating, but if none of you are interested in learning something about magic theory…"

"What she tried to tell you is, basically, that the spell can only be performed once a month," Lotus explained.

"THANK YOU!" Twilight shouted, relieved. "Finally, somepony who understands me. I didn't know you were interested in the theorems of magic, Lotus. How did you even get here, anyways?"

Lotus looked down at her feet. "W-well…" she stuttered.

"That's all it meant?" Rainbow interrupted her. "Come on, Twilight, why didn't you say so in the first place?"

Her alicorn friend sighed. "I just wanted to clarify… never mind. Let's just get this started… Zelda, are you ready?"

The princess of Hyrule nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."


	21. The Fiancee Brigade

"Please understand, honored guest, that the princess told me that she doesn't want to be disturbed," said the maid, a small and demure bat pony, as she stood in front of Princess Luna's personal chambers.

"Listen, I've got something very important to tell her, and I don't know how much time I will have before the official meeting begins. And after that, we will most likely return to Hyrule, so I won't have any other chance to speak to her. So will you let me in already or what?" Nabooru snapped.

"B-but I can't!" the maid protested. "My orders were pretty clear…"

"Let her in, Night Glide," came Luna's voice from inside. "I think I've done enough moping for one day. Besides, no one should say that the princess of the night refuses an audience with one of her closer followers."

The bat pony blushed. "O-of course, princess… right away!" She gave the Gerudo a short bow and stepped aside. "Please, enter."

"Finally," Nabooru huffed as she stepped past the maid and entered the room. It was a gorgeous room, befitting a princess. The ceiling was decorated to look like the night sky. The most eye-catching piece of furniture was the big canopy bed with the night blue sheets and covers. A glass door led outside onto a small balcony with a telescope that was aimed at the moon.

Luna had been looking through that telescope when Nabooru entered. She turned her head, smiled at the sand pony and walked inside to welcome her. "Please don't be mad at Night Glide. She's just doing her job. I've rarely had a more faithful servant than her. And that's saying something, given the fact that almost all of her race have devoted their lives to my cause."

"Is she one of those… night guards you mentioned when we first met?" Nabooru asked. She felt a bit anxious to just address her goddess like that, but the fact that she was standing in her bedroom made some of her nervousness go away.

Luna realized that. It was actually the reason why she was willing to welcome Nabooru in her personal chambers. Maybe showing that her goddess of the moon was just a person as she was made talking to her a bit easier. "She isn't a guard," she said. "She belongs to a rare type of pony. Most of them live in their own sanctuary, in the caverns deep within the mountains. To call them bat ponies isn't that far off, but they adopted the name 'Nocturnals' for themselves. They rarely mingle with the more common earth ponies, pegasi or unicorns, since a rift of mistrust has opened between them ever since my banishment." Luna closed her eyes for a moment. "Like the Gerudos, they stayed loyal to the end. Some of them were driven by the same madness that took hold of my own self, the same madness that turned me into Nightmare Moon. But most of them followed me not out of conviction, but loyalty. But Celestia's followers didn't believe that. They were unwilling to trust a pony that willingly lived through the night."

"But wasn't that 1000 years ago?" Nabooru asked. "Wouldn't they be over such a grudge after such a long time?"

"Actually most of Equestria's inhabitants don't even known that the Nocturnals exist," Luna explained. "And those who do think that there's only a handful that serve as my guard. There are very few ponies that even know of their fortress in the mountains. But the Nocturnals prefer it that way. They don't want to risk being seen as outsiders, or worse, monsters. So they keep to themselves, even after my return and the purge of the nightmare."

"But shouldn't you do something about this?" Nabooru asked in surprise. "As princess, can't you just order the ponies to accept each other?"

"Technically, I could," Luna said. "But I don't think it's the right thing to do. It is their decision to stay secluded, just as it was their decision to follow me. A good leader does not force her subjects to what she thinks is best, she leaves them to their own decisions." She turned to look into Nabooru's eyes. "And thus, I want you to know that I won't order you and the other Gerudo to return at my side… I won't order you to stay in Hyrule either. It is entirely up to you to decide."

Nabooru didn't know what to say. This was not what she had expected from the goddess her tribe had revered for eons. "You… wouldn't mind if we decided to stay in Hyrule?" she asked.

"It is your home world, after all," Luna said. "You've grown up there and don't know anything else. I feel immensely honored that you still worship me after such a long time in exile, even after forgetting your true heritage as ponies. If you want to learn more about your past or even want to relive it, I will do everything I can to help. I will welcome all of you who decide to come back to Equestria. But I won't force anyone."

"Th-that is very generous, my lady," Nabooru said. She bowed in front of her goddess, her princess. "Thank you… as soon as I return to Gerudo Valley in Hyrule, I will tell all of my tribe what you said to me today. And like you, I will let them choose what future they want for themselves."

"Very good," Luna smiled. "You are fit to be a great leader, I can see. Your tribespeople must be proud of you."

"W-well, I do what I can," Nabooru said, blushing at the compliment. "I just want to lead my tribe into the right direction. To be honest, we are kind of in a similar situation as the Nocturnals. Ever since our king Ganondorf attempted to overthrow the kingdom, the Hylians look at us with distrust, and not just because we are thieves. When Princess Zelda summoned us sages for a meeting, to tell us about her plans to go to Equestria, I was formally welcomed to Hyrule Castle Town as the Sage of Spirits. I could have walked straight through the main gate and across the market place without having to risk being strangled by an angry mob. After all, the princess had invited me and her guards were always watching. Still, I noticed the angry glares in the back of my neck. They felt like knives trying to stab me. And even though I was a friend and ally to the princess, the rest of the kingdom still did not trust me or the rest of my people."

"I wish I could help you through this hardship," Luna said. "You have my sympathy, Nabooru. I wish to learn more about your tribe, how different it is from the ponies I once knew. But first, tell me more about this individual named Ganondorf."

* * *

Almost an hour later, Nabooru and Luna were still in the night princess' chamber, talking. Nabooru told Luna everything about her life in the desert, her position in the tribe, Ganondorf's rise to power, his plans to conquer Hyrule and take the Triforce for himself, as well as the whole story behind the Hero of Time.

Luna frowned when she heard all of this. "So this man decided to abandon the old ways and instead pact with the forces of evil? A foolish man, tempting fate like this. But then again, I made the same mistake." She sighed. "Very well, I suppose he met his match. What happened to him?"

"He was to be executed," Nabooru said.

Luna blinked in surprise. "Pardon me?"

"It's true," Nabooru said. "At least, that was the plan. After Link was sent back to his proper time as a child, the first thing he did was to warn the king and Princess Zelda about Ganondorf's intentions. After realizing that everything the boy said was true, Ganondorf was imprisoned and put on trial. The king sentenced him for execution. But… it didn't quite work out as intended. The Gorons forged a special sword for this occasion, a blade which was infused with the powers of light by Rauru. But even after being stabbed with the blade, Ganondorf survived, as he still held part of the Triforce. So what we did instead was to banish him to a parallel dimension, via a magical mirror. I really don't know a lot about this mirror or that other world, but Rauru assured us that we would never have to fear anything from Ganondorf as long as he's imprisoned in there."

"A magic mirror that leads to another world?" Luna murmured. "Strange coincidence… not too long ago, we had an incident where Twilight also had to use a mirror to chase a thief across dimensions. I wonder if there's a connection… I have to discuss this with my sister. Still, I must thank you for the conversation we had today, Nabooru. In any case, I'm glad I met you today."

"Likewise, my lady. It was an honor being invited into your chambers," Nabooru said with another bow. "And be assured, I will make sure the Gerudo will never forget you."

Just then, they heard a gasp coming from just outside the room, followed by Night Glide's nervous stuttering: "I'm t-terribly s-sorry, but you can't just go in here…"

"Oh, I'm s-so sorry," another meek and quiet voice stuttered. "We really don't want to be a bother… Ruto, she obviously isn't here, so we should leave and…"

"Are you kidding?" shouted a for Nabooru all-too-familiar voice. "Are you always such a pushover, Butterfly?"

"Actually… it's Fluttershy…"

"N-now listen here," Night Glide spoke up again. "It doesn't matter if she's here or not, without the proper invitation of Princess Luna, I can't let you in…"

"Listen, I know she's in here so get your Keese wings out of my face, got it?" Ruto shouted. "Hey, Nabooru! Saria just told me that Link is back, safe and sound. He's in… what's that village called? Ponyville? He's in Ponyville! So will you come out already so we can give him a hero's welcome?"

Nabooru shook her head. "Typical Ruto… I'm terribly sorry about this, my lady."

"It's quite alright," Luna said. "Let's see what your rather vocal friend has to say, shall we?"

Nabooru nodded and opened the door to leave. Night Glide was resolutely standing in front of the door, even though she was shaking like a leaf. Shaking even more was the little yellow pegasus named Fluttershy, who was standing at the side of a rather impatient seapony.

"There you are! What were you doing in there, sand pony? Building sand castles?" She laughed a bit at her own joke.

"Will you stop embarrassing yourself for once?" Nabooru snapped. "You're in the presence of Princess Luna, sovereign of the night and my tribe's patron goddess, so show a little bit respect! Or do you want me to start calling your Lord Jabu-Jabu an overgrown tuna?"

That shut Ruto up for a moment. Blushing in a darker shade of blue, she muttered: "W-well, how was I supposed to know? All I saw was you overreacting when you saw this pony… sorry… princess and throwing yourself to the ground."

"And here I assumed a princess would know the finer nuances of etiquette," Nabooru grumbled. "So, what is this you're saying about Link?"

"Um, he's back. Zelda and that other pony… I mean, princess…"

"Her name is Twilight," Fluttershy meekly interjected.

"Right, Twilight… well, apparently Zelda and that Twilight princess helped save him and those other ponies and they all teleported to that Ponyville place. And I'm going to see if he's all right. And Stuttershy…"

"It's Fluttershy…"

"She and her pink friend are going as well, to see if their friends are okay. So, do you wanna come or what?"

"What? Zelda and Princess Twilight were gone?" Nabooru asked in a surprised voice. "Since when? I didn't even notice them leaving. And didn't I just see them outside just an hour ago?"

"Alicorns can fly really fast," Luna smiled. "Looks like Twilight is doing what she can do best: Teaching other ponies… in this case, how to fly."

"But what about the meeting?" Nabooru asked.

"Knowing my sister, she wouldn't start the meeting without Princess Zelda's presence. And after flying such a long distance for the first time, followed by a mass teleportation spell, she'll be exhausted. Maybe it's best we adjourn the meeting to tomorrow. I'll talk to my sister. Go see your friends, all of you. I'm sure they'll be glad to see you as well."

Nabooru wanted to say that she wasn't nearly as worried about Link as Ruto was. While she respected Link as a close ally who helped free her tribe of Ganon's evil influence, she also respected his skills in combat. Ruto, on the other hand, was just obsessed.

Still, she kept quiet for now and respectfully lowered her head as she left alongside the others.

"Try not to make a scene the next time we visit a parallel dimension," she muttered to Ruto as they walked. "Honestly, I can't take you anywhere."

Fluttershy politely suppressed a giggle, while the four-legged Zora replied with glaring at the sand pony.

* * *

"LINK!" Navi shouted as she threw herself at her ponified friend, hugging his equine neck. "I'm so so sooooo glad you're okay."

As soon as they saw the fairy, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were all over her.

"Ohmygosh, what is that?" Sweetie Belle shouted. "Is it a Breezie?"

"Of course not, dummy, it's clearly a Parasprite," Scootaloo protested.

"But she can talk," Apple Bloom said. "Mom, do you know what this is? Do you know her? Can we keep her?"

"Awwww, isn't that sweet?" Rarity gushed. "What a cute little creature. She looks so happy."

I had to agree with her. In all the time I've known her, I've never seen Navi this happy and relieved before. She almost broke out in tears of joy as she buried her little fairy face in Link's mane. I snickered. "Calm down there, buzzball."

"Navi… it's okay," Link said. "Look, I'm fine. A little beat up, but nothing I'm not used to." He winced a bit when Navi accidentally touched the bandage around his foreleg. "Now be careful, we don't exactly have fairies in a bottle here."

"I'll gladly volunteer!" Navi shouted. "Anything to make you feel better."

I blinked. Was she serious? "Um… I don't think that will be necessary," I quickly said. "Let's just get him and Daring to the hospital…"

"I told you, I don't need a hospital…" Link wanted to object.

"You'll go to the hospital and you'll like it, mister!" I shouted. "Applejack, get them to a doctor, will you?"

"Sure thing, Mom," Applejack chuckled. "All right, Mr. and Mrs. Adventurer, the hospital is this way."

"S-stop calling us that," Daring blushed. "We're not married."

How typical of Link. Always playing the tough adventurer, never taking a rest. And Daring was obviously the same. Well, as long as they finally got some professional, medical attention, then I'd be at ease.

But their walk to the hospital was delayed again when a small filly with a green mane came scampering along the street, straight towards him. "Link! Are you okay?" she shouted.

"Who are… wait… Saria?" Link's eyes widened.

She nodded. "Yeah, we all accompanied Zelda to Hyrule. Are you hurt? Who did this to you?"

"Now would you look at that, the dashing hero has a little admirer," Rarity chuckled. "How adorable… I remember my first crush when I was her age."

"Excuse me," I interjected. "But as you can see, Link is injured and needs a doctor right now, so he has no time to talk." I stepped between them and started shoving Link in the right direction.

"Hey, as his childhood friend, I have every right to be worried," Saria said with a frown.

"LINK!" I cringed when somepony else latched on Link's body from the other side, a pony with blue scales that covered her whole body. I could tell who this was.

"Don't you worry one bit, your cute fiancee is here to make everything better," Ruto said. "What were you thinking, leaving Hyrule without telling me… again. But I came after you right after I learned where you were going and I'm staying at your side until you're leaving."

"Ruto… gah… get off me!" Link protested as he tried squirming out of the fish-pony's grasp. "And I'm NOT your fiancee!"

"Awww, he always plays hard to get," she giggled and snuggled him even tighter.

"Let go of him already, scaly!" I shouted. "Can't you see he's not interested?"

"What? Who are you supposed to be?" Ruto frowned. "And what are you talking about? Link is crazy about me. He even accepted my engagement gift when we were children…"

"I'm his partner, if you must know. And for the last time, he didn't know what that was at the time you gave it to him." I was getting more irritated and furious with each passing moment. Did all those girls have to bother him? Couldn't they see that he needed medical attention?

"Wow," Applejack whistled. "Looks like you've got quite the herd of mares on your heels, stud."

"Yeah, and it looks like your mom is jealous of all of them," Rainbow Dash snickered.

"Dash!" Applejack glared at her.

"What?"

I had enough. "All right, that's it! Navi, Saria, Ruto, let him go! I don't care just how much you are happy to see him, you can wait until he feels better. Link? Hospital! Now!"

"All right, I'm going," Link said. "Calm down, will you?"

"Come on, it's this way," Rainbow Dash said as she showed him and Daring the way. I let out a sigh of relief when they finally left. Then I glared at the three female fan girls. "Just what in Farore's name is the matter with you? I can't believe it… the poor guy can't take a break with you girls chasing him around all day. The only thing missing is if Malon appears out of nowhere. Go start a Hero of Time fan club if you have to, but leave him alone!"

"Wow, someone's touchy," Nabooru grinned. I didn't even notice she was here as well.

"What are you doing here?" I muttered.

"Now don't you jump to conclusions. I'm just here because she pulled me along." She pointed at Ruto. "I don't have any interest in Link, at least not like that. Looks like he has plenty of girlfriends already."

"I'm not his girlfriend!" I shouted. "I'm his partner."

"And I'm not his girlfriend either," Saria protested with a blush. "I'm his friend."

Navi nodded. "So am I."

"And I'm also not his girlfriend," Ruto grinned. "I'm his FIANCEE!"

"NO, YOU'RE NOT!" Saria, Navi and I shouted at once.

The Ponyville ponies looked at us like we were crazy. "Do you guys need some time alone?" Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," I grunted. "We're done for now. Right?" I glared at the others and they quickly nodded.

"Oh good," Zelda sighed. "That means I can pass out now." And she fell to the ground.

"Zelda!" Twilight gasped. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she muttered. "Just a bit… tired. That spell took a lot out of me and then the long flight…"

"I knew it wasn't a good idea to fly such a long distance for the first time," Twilight said. "Can you stand?"

The princess stood back up, even if she looked a little wobbly. "Yes… but just barely."

"Come on, my library is right over there. You can take a rest and I'll introduce you to my assistant, Spike."

"I think I'll go and bring Sweetie Belle home," Rarity said. "And then I'll need a long bath… it'll take me weeks to get all this desert sand out of my coat."

"And I think I'll bring Scootaloo home," Fluttershy said. "Her parents are probably worried sick about her."

"Do we have to go already?" Sweetie Belle protested. "Oh, fine… bye, girls. Bye, Mrs. Apple."

"Yeah, bye," Scootaloo said. "Today totally rocked! You are an awesome adventurer."

They left. Which left me with my daughters, the Link Stalker Squad and… the twins.

"Umm… about us…" Aloe muttered. She was nervously fidgeting around with her hooves. I also saw how they tried to avoid any eye contact with Nabooru. I could tell they didn't want to tell her their true identities just yet, and I had to agree that it was probably for the best. If Nabooru realized that these two ponies were the same that helped Ganondorf, kidnapped her and brainwashed her, she probably wouldn't be too happy.

"Go home," I told them. "Stay there and don't do anything stupid. Can you do that?"

They simply nodded and walked back to their spa. Saria, Navi, Ruto and Nabooru looked at me curiously, but I ignored them for now and looked at Applejack. "You know them better than I do… at least their new selves. Can we trust them not to try anything."

"I think so," Applejack said, but she didn't sound too certain herself. "Then again, I never expected them to have that kind of secret. I suppose I'll go and ask Spike to send a letter to the princess… maybe she can spare a guard or two that can guard their house until it's decided what we do with them."

"Good idea," I nodded and she ran off.

"What was that all about?" Saria asked me.

I sighed. "It's a long story. But it will have to wait until tomorrow. For now, I just want to go home and spend the rest of the day with my family." I gently nudged Apple Bloom with my head. "Come on, seedling."

Apple Bloom smiled as she followed me back to Sweet Apple Acres. "Coming, Mom!"

As we left, I heard Nabooru mutter in confusion: "She has a daughter?"


	22. A new morning in Ponyville

I awoke to the sound of loud crowing. With a groan, I buried my head in the pile of hay I was lying on. "Noooo… leave the cuccos alone, Link… I wanna sleep some more… Malon, make him stop…"

"What are you talking about, Epona?" I heard Link's voice mumble next to me.

Then I realized… that wasn't a cucco. That was the crow of an Equestrian rooster… and it was the same beautiful sound I heard whenever it was time to get up and get the chores done… way back, in a better time, living with my family on the farm…

"Oh my gosh!" I explained as I jumped to my feet and looked outside the barn.

It was the most beautiful view ever. The sun was slowly crawling up the sky, shining her light down on endless rows of apple trees. Then there were the farmhouse, the toolshed, the entrance to the apple cellar…

I was home. For the first time in a very, very long time, I woke up in the only place I could ever call my true home: Sweet Apple Acres.

I trotted outside and took a deep breath of air. After all the time, it was still the same, fresh and pristine, smelling like freshly-picked apples. Once more, I thanked all the goddesses I could think of for this gift, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to start over.

I heard an annoyed grumble when behind me, Link turned around into a more comfortable position on the hay. His leg was still bandaged, but the wound was getting better quickly. Unlike Daring Do, who had to stay in the hospital for some time, Link's wounds weren't too serious, so the doctor allowed him to leave. And as soon as he arrived on Sweet Apple Acres to inform me about it, my whole family invited him to stay as long as he wanted. He was now a close friend of the family. However, when he was invited to sleep in Big Mac's bed, he refused. Back in Hyrule, he had slept in the barn every time he visited Lon Lon Ranch, always keeping me company. And he wasn't about to be a bother when he could do the same here. Upon hearing that, I decided to sleep in the barn as well.

I trotted back inside the barn and nudged him with my head. "C'mon, sleepyhead! Do we have to go through this routine every day?"

"Not if you let me sleep for once," Link grumbled. "You must know by now that I'm not a morning person… or pony."

Behind me, Big Mac trotted towards the toolshed to gather an apple cart. "Mornin', mother," he said in his shortspoken way.

"Good morning, son," I said with a big smile on my face. "Getting ready to buck the morning round of apples?"

He nodded as he attached the cart to his harness. "Eeyup."

"How can you country folk be so chipper this early in the morning?" Link groaned. "Malon's the same…"

I smirked. "Well, that's how it's done here on the farm. The chores must be done early. And the apples of the day must be picked by the time the market begins."

"Okay, but can't that be done with a bit less noise?" Link muttered as Big Mac pulled the clattering cart past the barn door. "How's a guy supposed to sleep like this?"

"Yer sure yer not secretly related to Rainbow Dash?" Applejack snickered as she walked up to me. "Every time I ask her to help with the chores, she says she's busy nappin'."

"Well, she's a smart pony then," Link said as he covered his ears with hay.

"Land sakes, for a brave and strong hero, he sure likes to take his time in the morning," Applejack chuckled. "Did ya sleep well, Mom?"

"Yes, thank you," I nodded. "It felt really good to finally spend a night on this farm again."

"Trust me, Mom, this will be just the first of many nights," Applejack said. "Now you two enjoy an easy morning and some breakfast while I go help Big Mac with the bucking."

"Let me help you kids," I said. "It's been a long time and your mom wants to know if she still got what it takes to bring down some apples." I gave her a cocky grin and kicked my hind legs out to demonstrate my eagerness.

"But it's your first time on the farm in a long time," Applejack said. "Also, there's still a lot of Ponyville you have to show your friend. And if you start helping now, there might not be enough time for everything."

"I know," I sighed. "I just wanted to get back into my old life as quickly as possible and forgot about Link for a moment. Oh well, maybe it's better that way. I was never as good as your father when it comes to bucking."

"You still have plenty enough chances after today," Applejack smiled. "But if you really wanna help, why don't you take Apple Bloom to school? I bet she'd really enjoy that."

Taking my lovely seedling to school? That brightened my day even more than the beautiful sunset. "All right, I'll do that. But first, breakfast."

"Good, cause Granny made some pie for you. Better get it while it's warm." She winked and galloped off to help her brother.

Now I remembered another thing I missed deeply while I was gone: The scent and taste of freshly baked apple pie in the morning. I quickly ran back inside the barn, gave Link another shove with my head and shouted: "Up to your hooves already, slowpoke! You better get up right now if you want some pie."

* * *

Twilight was sitting at her desk when Zelda came downstairs, sleepily. "Good mo…" She yawned. "Oh, excuse me."

Twilight smiled. "Good morning, Zelda. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, but this was the first time I ever slept in a library… it's so unusual, not having to rely on servants for once." She then got startled when a young dragon popped up next to her.

"Hi, I'm Spike," he said. "I didn't get any chance to introduce myself yesterday. I'm Twilight's assistant… can I get you anything? Some breakfast, maybe?"

"Oh… hello, Spike. Yes, some breakfast would be lovely," the alicorn smiled.

"You got it," Spike said as he eagerly ran into the kitchen.

"So much for not having someone serving me," Zelda giggled. "He's a cute one. Twilight, how about we have breakfast together?"

"Now that you mention it, I am kind of hungry," Twilight admitted. "I guess my research can wait."

Just as the two princesses were about to head into the kitchen, Spike came back out, carrying a large sack. "Breakfast is on the table, your Highnesses," he grinned. "Let me just bring out the trash, okay?" He quickly went outside.

"He's so eager," Zelda noticed.

"Yeah, that's Spike. Always happy to be of service," Twilight giggled. "I don't know what I'd do without him. But sometimes, I have the feeling he's taking his job a bit too seriously. He's still a baby dragon after all, young and easy to worry and scare…"

"Whaaaaaaah!" came a loud shout from outside.

"That's Spike!" Twilight shouted in surprise. Together with Zelda, she ran to the door.

Spike was standing outside, shaking like a leaf, while a short blade was aimed at him. "Princess, I must report an intruder," the pony holding it said. "Looks like a small Dinolfos, maybe even a dragon. What are your orders?"

"Impa, leave the poor guy alone. Don't you see he's scared out of his wits? Besides, he's completely harmless," Zelda said.

"That's right," Twilight nodded. "Spike wouldn't harm a fly. Now put down that weapon already."

The Sheikah sheathed her blade. "As you command, Highnesses!"

"I think my heart stopped…" Spike muttered. "I think I need to go to the bathroom… please excuse me…" He quickly ran back inside.

Zelda sighed. "Impa… where did you even come from?"

"I am your loyal servant and bodyguard, princess. I go wherever you're going. I followed you yesterday when you and Princess Twilight left Canterlot and went to Ponyville."

"You did? I didn't see you anywhere," Twilight said in surprise.

"You wouldn't. I'm a Sheikah. We are the protectors of the royal family, always hiding in the shadows. When the princess decided to spend the night here, I put up camp in the treetop. That seemed the best place to keep an eye out for trouble."

"You spent the whole night by yourself, in the cold?" Twilight asked. "I could have easily slept in the couch and leave the second bed to you."

"You are very generous, but that would be inconceivable," Impa said. "You are the princesses and I am a mere servant."

"But that's not right," Twilight frowned. "Even Spike sleeps in his own little basket. Would you at least come inside and join us for breakfast?"

"That won't be necessary. Really, I should go back on guard…"

"Impa!" Zelda said sternly. "As your princess, I order you to join me and Princess Twilight for a nice and enjoyable breakfast."

The Sheikah closed her mouth and bowed her head. "If that's your order, I shall accompany you." Loyally, she went inside.

"You have to excuse her," Zelda said. "But sometimes, I have to give her commands like this to ensure she even eats and sleeps."

"Looks like another one takes her duties a bit too serious at times," Twilight noted.

* * *

Fluttershy opened her windows widely as she welcomed the day… as well as her little animal friends who lived with her. "Good morning, little friends," she smiled. "Looks like it's going to be a wonderful day today, don't you think?"

The answer was a happy chorus of chirps, squeaks and growls as all of her critters tried to welcome her at once. But suddenly, the chorus was interrupted by the angry chatter of the two sea otters that lived underneath the bridge that went over the small pond in front of her river.

"Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy gasped as she flew outside. "What's the matter, you two?"

As she looked underneath the bridge, she let out a frightened yelp as she saw something big lying there, half-submerged in the water. This was none of her animal friends, she knew all of them by heart, and this looked nothing like any of them. "Wh-what is that?" she stuttered nervously.

The blue, scaly creature then began to stir. Fluttershy eeped and ducked her head as the scary monster raised her head out of the water to yawn… it was only then that she recognized her guest. "R-ruto, is that you?"

"Of course it's me," the seapony muttered groggily. "Who else? Sheesh, must these animals make such a ruckus? They woke me up."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry about that… but you see, um, you kind of… intruded in their home," Fluttershy pointed out.

"Well, where else was I supposed to sleep?" Ruto grumbled. "Link and Epona are staying at the farm, Zelda was taken in by that librarian princess and Saria met a striped horse at the edge of the forest who invited her. I don't have anyone I could stay with, except you! You're the only one in this town I know. You wouldn't let a poor, lonely princess sleep on the street, would you?"

"Oh no, of course not," Fluttershy said. "It's just that, well, the pond is awfully small and…"

"But it's the biggest body of water nearby," Ruto said. "Where else was I supposed to sleep? I'm a Zora, we need water. Surely those little weasels can make a bit room so I have my own personal space, yes?"

"Actually, they are otters and… never mind… I guess now that you're here, you might as well stay. Um, would you like some breakfast?"

"That would be delightful," Ruto said as she rose from the pond. "I'd like some Hylian Loach with caviar and some oysters. Prepare everything while I make myself presentable." She came out of the water and strode past the yellow pegasus, disappearing behind the cottage.

Angel Bunny hopped up on his owner's back as he started chattering angrily.

"I know, Angel," Fluttershy sighed. "But she's a guest, and a stranger in Equestria. If I don't make her feel welcomed, who will? Now, let me quickly go to the market… I don't think we have any caviar in the pantry…"

Angel put a paw on his forehead and sighed. Sometimes, his owner could be such a pushover…

* * *

"This is gonna be sooo amazing!" Apple Bloom cheered as she skipped alongside her mother to school. "I'm gonna show you to all of my friends in school and then they can all finally see what a great mom I've got."

I felt nothing but warm and fuzzy feelings as I accompanied my youngest daughter to school… for the first time in my life. I did my best not to get as excited as the little seedling. "Remember, I'm just bringing you to school," I smiled. "I can't stay the whole morning. What would your teacher – What was her name again?"

"Miss Cheerilee!" Apple Bloom said.

"Right, what would she say if you weren't able to focus on her classes?"

"Ah, who cares about those boring old classes?" Apple Bloom said, rolling her eyes. "I bet she's gonna be excited to meet you, too."

We reached the school building. It still looked the same as I remembered, back when I brought Big Macintosh and Applejack to school.

"C'mon, lemme introduce you to my friends," Apple Bloom shouted as she ran ahead.

"But I've already met them," I said. "You'd think I'd remember a pair of fillies that accompanied us on our rescue mission."

"Yeah, but I mean all my other friends. Twist and Pipsqueak and Truffle and Dinky… they've never met you before."

"All right then, I'll say hello before I go back home," I smiled.

However, the first young pony we met was a pink-colored filly wearing a tiara. As soon as she saw us, she trotted towards us with an expression of determination. She was followed by one stallion I wasn't really keen on seeing again.

Apple Bloom seemed to share my sentiments. "Oh great," she groaned. "Here come Diamond Tiara and her daddy."

"That's her, Daddy!" Diamond Tiara shouted, pointing her hoof at me. "That's the mean old mare that hit me." I gritted my teeth when hearing that. Old mare?

"I see," the stallion said in a calm voice. "Now don't worry, sweetie, Daddy will take care of this." He cleared his throat as he stepped in front of me. "So. One face I never expected to see again… Epona Apple."

I frowned. "Filthy Rich…"

"I must say I'm quite surprised to see you again… but while I'm very curious about where you've been these past years, that's really none of my business. It is of my business, however, when my daughter comes home with a swollen cheek, claiming a 'mean lady' on the streets hit her. Is there anything you can tell me about this?"

I could have told him I had no idea what she was talking about. Except for our two daughters and their friends, there were no other witnesses. I could have easily said that he has no proof other than his daughter's claims. But I decided against it.

"She's right," I said. "I gave her a slap. But I did it for a reason."

I watched him narrow his brows. He was obviously very upset, but managed to restrain himself. "Whatever reason could there be for you to hit a child, Mrs. Apple?"

"Simple," I said. "She said something very hurtful to my youngest daughter. She insulted her family by saying that we are unable to afford new clothing and on top of that, she insinuated that she had no parents. I must add that this happened just before I arrived at the scene, and Apple Bloom had no idea yet that I was there."

"Diamond Tiara," Filthy Rich turned his head to look at his daughter. "Is this true?"

The filly didn't seem to be too happy about the direction the conversation was heading. "W-well… yes… but it's true, isn't it? I mean, why wouldn't they wear other things now and then if they didn't have enough money to buy other stuff? Also, how was I supposed to know she was her mother?"

"Enough! Diamond Tiara, go to your class right now. We will talk about this when you get home," he sternly said.

"But… but Daaaad…"

"No buts! I'm very disappointed with you, young filly. Now go."

Diamond Tiara winced at the harshness in her father's voice and decided not to protest anymore.

Filthy Rich watched his daughter go inside, then he turned back to look at me. "While my daughter did something inexcusable, you still had no right to hit her. I don't know what sort of mannerism you teach your children, but I always tell Diamond Tiara that violence is not an answer. The only reason why I've decided not to report you for child abuse is that the injury was very minor. And even though I now understand you, I still must ask you: What in the name of Luna and Celestia compelled you to hit my child, Epona?" He angrily shouted that last part, loud enough that several children who just arrived at school turned their heads to look at us.

"H-hey, stop it," Apple Bloom shouted. "She didn't do anything wrong."

I sighed. "No, Apple Bloom. He's right. Hitting her was something I shouldn't have done. My feelings back then got the better of me."

"Well, at least I see you're reasonable," Filthy Rich said. His voice went back to normal.

I took a deep breath. "Listen, I… I'd like to tell you the whole reason for this. In private. Do you have some time?"

He nodded, and I turned towards my daughter. "Sorry, seedling. I'll meet your friends and teacher some other day… but this is important. You understand?"

"Okay, Mom," she said in a voice so disappointed that I had to use all my willpower to stay firm. "But you'll pick me up from school in the afternoon, right?"

"Of course I will," I said. "Now run along. The bell already rung."

Together, Filthy and I went to a small café where we sat down at a table and each ordered a small coffee. When the waiter left, Filthy looked at me expectantly.

I felt I owed him an explanation, so I said: "Well… where do I begin? As you can see, I am not as dead as my family or any pony expected. Instead, I was… gone. I was in a place you probably never heard of before. And for the longest time, I was unable to get home. I assure you, I would have taken any chance to see my family again, if that wasn't the case."

"I won't question your love for your family," he said in a calm voice. "I know you never liked me that much, but you must know that my family has a long history of doing business with your family. And Granny Smith is a close acquaintance. I have a lot of respect for her, and her grandchildren. Especially after you and your husband… disappeared. It must have been hard for them."

"It was also hard for me," I said. "Being trapped in that other world, seeing them every night in my dreams without being able to actually go to them…" I decided not to tell him about my transformation into a common workhorse and that for the longest time, I didn't even know that my dreams were reality. "And suddenly, I was back. Can you imagine how I felt?"

"You must have been overjoyed, I imagine."

I closed my eyes for a moment. "Do you know what my last thoughts were before I left this world? I was sad that I'd never see my little seedling, Apple Bloom, grow older, get her cutie mark, find a job, get married… and now, the chance to see all this come true was given to me. I was back in Ponyville, saw her standing in front of Sugarcube Corner with her friends… and then what happened? Your daughter and her friend appeared and started taunting her. Calling her names because of her lack of a cutie mark. And worst of all: Mocking her because she lost her parents. That's one of the worst things a young filly could ever be told! So yes, I overreacted when I slapped her. But it was because it was the first thing I saw after coming back, and because it was insinuating that I wasn't there. That I couldn't… be there for her."

"I think I understand," Filthy Rich nodded, a serious expression on his face. "Under normal circumstances, I would still be angry for that kind of action. But as a parent myself, I understand completely why you did it."

"But tell me one thing, Filthy," I said, looking back up at him. "If you're such a good parent, why is your daughter acting like this? My daughter told me this wasn't the first time she bullied her. She teased her about her blank flank, harassed her and her friends and even made fun of a young pegasus' inability to fly."

Filthy let out a deep sigh. "I won't make up any excuses for her behavior. I always try to tell her that our community is built upon comradeship and teamwork. But… it's not easy. Often, she doesn't listen to me anymore. And my work barely gives me any time to spend with her, so she's always surrounded with only servants. I was very glad when I heard that she made a friend in Silver Spoon, but it got worse when she convinced her to go along with her behavior. Often enough, I've asked Miss Cheerilee for help. But she's just a teacher and can only do so much. I really don't know what I can do to reach my little sweetie again. I love her more than anything and I know she loves me. She just doesn't listen to me. Not since her mother…" He became very silent all of a sudden. He picked up one of the napkins lying on the table and wiped his eye.

Now I understood as well. His wife, Diamond Tiara's mother… something must have happened to her. Maybe she left him, maybe she even died. I wasn't going to ask him further. But this must be the reason why Diamond Tiara became so bitter and spiteful towards everypony. Now I felt sorry for every mean thought I had about Filthy Rich and his family.

"Filthy… maybe we can start over," I said. "If you and Granny Smith get along so well with each other… maybe we can as well. And maybe, given some time, we find a way that our children start to like each other."

I could tell her certainly did not expect that. He looked at me in surprise. "I… that is… yes. Yes, I'd like that. Thank you, Epona. And please… call me Rich."

I smiled. "Sure thing, Rich."


	23. Celestia's Worries

A pair of ponies stood in front of the Ponyville spa.

"Look, Rose! The spa is closed."

"Really?" Rose asked. "That's a surprise… usually, Aloe and Lotus are always open at this hour. Look, even all the curtains are closed. Do you think one of them is sick, Lily?"

"I don't know, but maybe one of those gentlemen standing in front of the door know something," Lily said. "Let's ask them."

"Don't you think it's a little… odd that a pair of royal guards would be standing in front of the spa?" Rose frowned.

"Ah, it's not the first time the royal guard was in Ponyville. We can always ask them, c'mon!"

They stepped up to the two royal guards that were blocking the entrance, a pegasus and a unicorn. "Excuse me, sirs?" Lily asked. "We are regular customers here at the spa… can you tell us what's going on?"

"Terribly sorry, miss," the unicorn guard said. "But entrance to the spa is currently prohibited for an indefinite time."

"But why?" Rose wondered. "Did something happen to Aloe and Lotus? Are they all right?"

"I'm afraid that information is classified," the pegasus guard said. "But I can assure you that the proprietors are well and safe."

"Well, that's good to hear," Rose sighed with relief. "If we can't use the spa, can we at least visit them and see how they are doing?"

"Sorry again, but they are currently held in home detention. At the moment, visitors are not allowed."

"Say what?" Lily gasped. "But why?"

"That information is classified."

"I don't believe this," Rose groaned. "Come on, Lily. We'll come back later if those goons don't want to let us in."

"Maybe the mayor knows what's going on," Lily suggested. "Let's ask her."

Rose nodded. "Good idea." And they ran off.

While the two soldiers continued to guard the entrance, the curtains from one of the windows was pushed aside a little. With sad eyes, Aloe looked outside.

"Do you see that?" she sighed. "They don't even let us see our friends."

"Are you really surprised about that? I'm surprised they didn't throw us into the dungeon as soon as they found out what we did," Lotus said.

"But… that's not fair," Aloe said. "It's not like we had a choice. Ghirahim would have killed us if we didn't agree to help him."

Lotus snorted. "You're still telling yourself that? Don't kid yourself, sis! After we learned of our path, we chose to follow him on our own. You can't tell me that feeling of revenge you felt within you when thinking of the Hero of Time was false."

"Yes, but… we didn't really do anything to him. Well, except for incapacitating him with gas and putting him in that cage. Him and Miss Rarity… which I still feel sorry for."

"But we wanted to kill him," Lotus said. "That's what counts. We deserve this punishment… I even think it's a really mild one, considering the crime. But who knows what they're going to do us later."

"This is Princess Celestia we're talking about," Aloe said. "Ruler of Equestria. I doubt she'd do anything drastic."

"Are you kidding?" Lotus asked. "This is the pony who sent her own sister to the moon for 1000 years, and she didn't even kill anypony. I have a very strong feeling the worst is yet to come for us."

"Do you really think so?" Aloe asked. "But in that case… what can we do?"

"Nothing, really," Lotus shrugged. "We couldn't even contact Lord Demise if we wanted… they cleared out all our magic equipment and sealed off the basement. They even took our gemstones…" She looked up at the now empty headband of her sister.

"I don't care about that anymore!" Aloe shouted. "I don't want to go back to Demise, either. I just want to live my old life here in Ponyville…"

"I don't think that's a possibility anymore, sis," Lotus said. "Even if the princess decides to give us a mild punishment, our life wouldn't be the same. You saw it, everypony here now knows we did something bad. And most importantly… you and I know."

Aloe crouched down on the floor and buried her face in her forehooves. "But… what do we do?" she sobbed.

Lotus sighed. "I don't know, sis. I really don't know."

* * *

Celestia was standing in Canterlot tower, looking at all the different stained glass windows. She saw the purification of Nightmare Moon, the reimprisonment of Discord, the defeat of the changeling army, the rescue of the Crystal Empire, the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle and many more.

"So many important events are displayed here," she muttered to herself. "Events that affected all of Equestria. But never before have we seen any historical event in this room that shows how other worlds outside of Equestria were affected."

She walked over to a small table where an old book was lying… a book that had both the emblem of the Elements of Harmony on its cover, as well as the emblem of the Triforce. "Our two worlds were once connected," she sighed. "But Farore and mine overcautiousness created a barrier… a barrier thicker than any dimensional barrier could be."

Suddenly, the melodic tunes of a harp filled the room. Celestia turned her head and saw a tall, elegant-looking unicorn with an aquamarine coat and a flowing, blue mane sitting in a corner of the room. The blue glow of her magic surrounded both her horn and the harp she was playing. She smiled when she saw Celestia looking at her. "You know, I don't think the barrier is as thick as you believe."

"Nayru…" Celestia said. "You always had the habit of dropping in unannounced. Do your sisters know you're here?"

"Yes," the goddess of wisdom nodded. "Farore still frowns upon it, but I think she's slowly starting to get used to Din and mine suggestion."

"What suggestion would that be?" Celestia asked, even though she could already guess.

"The suggestion to create a bond between Hyrule and Equestria, once again," Nayru said. "That's why you invited Princess Zelda and the sages, correct? Also, I've heard that your sister already met a member of the tribe that used to worship her."

"Are you here to criticize me about that as well?" Celestia frowned.

"No. I still think it was a bad decision, though. But I can imagine Luna already chewed you out enough on that subject. I am here to help you with your own decision… and to say hello. It's been a long time, and I did miss you. As did Din and even Farore."

"She did? She has a strange way of showing that," Celestia sighed. "Why are you using that body, anyways? Farore took the body of an alicorn, and even Zelda has one."

"Princess Zelda has yet to understand the powers within her," Nayru said. "She doesn't even know that she is Hylia reincarnated. And I don't think it's time yet for her to learn about that. As for me, I've always liked to mingle with the mortals. I gave Hyrule science and the arts, you know? So I'm always eager to find out what they manage to create. I want to learn more about your ponies, too. And I think a unicorn body suits me just fine. Din would like to come for a visit as well, but she's still unsure whether she prefers a pegasus or earth pony form."

"Let's get to the point," Celestia said. "You, Din and Luna all want Hyrule and Equestria to have connections again. You do know what that entails, right? The darkness, the monsters, the evil from both worlds could use the open gateways to freely change realms."

Nayru sighed. "Celestia… do you honestly believe that dimensional barriers are enough to truly stop evil? Did you not read what your student wrote you about what happened in the desert?"

"Former student," Celestia corrected her. "And how do you know that?"

"Have you forgotten?" Nayru smirked. "The Triforce… it was made from parts from each of us. Through the Triforce of Wisdom, I've been able to see what Zelda sees, ever since she acquired it. Farore can do the same with Link, the Hero of Time."

"And… what about Din?"

Nayru's expression darkened a bit. "She… can do it as well. Even though she hates it. But it's a good way of making sure the king of evil is still trapped within his prison. But let's not change subjects here. What I meant to tell you is that another evil managed to cross worlds even before you decided to open the barrier. And I doubt they had help from fairies."

"You are talking about this demon in unicorn form Twilight told me about," Celestia said.

Nayru nodded. "Yes. And he's not even the biggest threat. He is merely a servant… a tool, a weapon used by an evil that is almost as ancient as we are. Hylia, Zelda's previous incarnation, once fought him in a long-lasting war. His name is Demise."

Celestia scoffed. "I think we can handle evil creatures. We dealt with Discord, Sombra, Chrysalis…"

"Chrysalis and Sombra may have been powerful, but they were mortal," Nayru said. "It's not really a surprise you managed to beat them. And Discord is nothing but a jester, even before he was reformed. He merely wanted to shape the world around him for fun. Demise wants to destroy anything in his path. And on the peak of his strength, he was just as powerful as Discord. The only reason Hyrule wasn't destroyed back in his days was the fact that Hylia, a goddess just as powerful as him, fought him. And even then, it took countless sacrifices."

"Very well, I shall take this threat seriously," Celestia said. "But I doubt he's this powerful now. I would have easily felt it if a being of his power had appeared in Equestria."

"He couldn't have regained his full power yet," Nayru said. "I also don't even think he is in Equestria yet. He must use some sort of dark magic to communicate with his servant."

"How do you know that?" Celestia asked.

"When Demise was defeated the last time, his remains were sealed within the Master Sword," Nayru explained. "The spirit of the sword itself took a vow to make sure they would stay sealed for all eternity. Still, I was worried when I heard of the appearance of his servant and checked the sword to make sure. And sure enough, the evil of Demise was still contained within the blade. So it is impossible for him to physically appear in Equestria, as long as the seal is intact."

"I still don't see your point," Celestia said. "If it's just Demise's minion, we can easily take care of him ourselves. We don't need the help of Hyrule's heroes."

"You are doing it again, Tia," Nayru said with a sad sigh, switching to a more informal title. "Your pride hinders you from seeing the whole issue. Isn't Equestria the kingdom of friendship and harmony? Is it not here where the Tree of Harmony is growing? And were it not those virtues that helped defeat the threats to your kingdom again and again? And yet you still shy away from forming alliances, even friendships, with other realms."

"You… you don't understand," Celestia muttered. "There are evils that must be kept out of Equestria… look what happened to Luna! I don't want a repeat of that…"

"Didn't we just clarify that dimensional barriers won't be enough to stop evil?" Nayru asked softly. "On the contrary, with the barriers down, we can help each other defeating the threats to our worlds. Our heroes and champions can assist each other. What is it you're really afraid of, Celestia?"

If it were any other person or pony, Celestia would have not admitted that she was afraid. Not even to Twilight or Cadance. To Luna… maybe. But this was Nayru, another goddess who knew her as long as she lived. So she took a deep breath and said: "You, Din and Luna… you wouldn't know. Farore and I are the eldest… we were there when it happened. When mother and father were assaulted by that… that thing!"

"That… thing?" Nayru asked in confusion. "What thing? We are goddesses, Celestia. Even creatures as ancient as Discord and Demise are at best equal to our powers."

"Some gods are more powerful than others," Celestia muttered. "Ask Farore if you want to hear the whole story. But that evil that claimed my father is the reason why I'm afraid to open the barriers around Equestria."

To say the goddess of wisdom was shocked was an understatement. "Farore… she never wanted to speak about what happened on that day."

"Then ask mother," Celestia turned around. "I cannot talk about it… not now. Please, sister… leave me for now. There are things I need to ponder. And I need to talk to Luna."

With these words, Celestia left the room.

* * *

Celestia was deep in thought on her way back to her quarters, when a pink pony popped out of nowhere, forcefully startling her out of her thoughts.

"Heya, princess!" Pinkie shouted.

Celestia nearly dropped her crown in shock. "P… Pinkie Pie?" she stuttered. She took a moment to regain her composure. "What are you still doing here?"

"Oh, I've been showing my new pal Darunia around town. We then met my older sister Maud and the two of them have gone off somewhere and I couldn't find them, so I searched around town. But I still couldn't find them, so I tried finding my other friends. But then I noticed they weren't there anymore and Joe told me they went back to Ponyville, so that meant I was the only one still in Canterlot. Well, the only one except for Rauru, who's still in the castle library, reading so many books. I think he would go along great with Twilight. Anyway, it was getting late and I wondered if I had to go home in the dark, but then Princess Cadance offered me to stay in one of the guest rooms that was empty, now that all of the guest have gone to Ponyville. At least most of them. So I stayed here in the castle, but I couldn't sleep. So I walked around the castle… actually, I bounced, but you get the idea. And then I remembered that super-duper-awesome ball room where we had the Grand Galloping Gala and where we celebrated Twilight's birthday, so I immediately felt the super-powerful urge to throw another party in there. And then I realized: This is the perfect chance for a great party! After all, we have many, many new friends in Equestria now, and you wanted to hold a meeting with them anyways, and then there are Applejack's mom and her friend who also came to Equestria, so we can make this a welcome party for them as well! And it will be the single greatest party of the year, since we're celebrating the first time friends from two different worlds are having a party together! Yaaaay!" Pinkie threw a handful of confetti into the air and blew into a noisemaker. "What do you say, princess?"

Celestia thought about it. She had been so absorbed in her fears and worries about the negatives and risks that came with an open connection between Hyrule and Equestria that she didn't even consider the positives. And here she had one of the most carefree, friendly ponies she had ever met in her life, and that's saying something. And Nayru was right, wasn't she? This was the kingdom of friendship and harmony. So could she, with a clear conscience, send the delegates from Hyrule back home without making them feel welcome?

She smiled down at her pink subject. "Pinkie Pie… I'd be honored if you'd organize a party for our guests from Hyrule."

"YAHOOOOOOO!" Pinkie cheered as she jumped up into the air, nearly hitting the ceiling. "You're the best princess EVER! Oh, don't tell Twilight I said that."

Celestia chuckled. "My lips are sealed."

* * *

At the same time, near the outskirts of Trottingham…

"Whooooo, what a doozy! Did you feel that too, Boneless 2?"

The rubber chicken on the brown-maned stallion's back did not respond.

"Yessiree, my cheesey sense just told me that there's one heck of a party about to go down on Canterlot in the near future. And it will be held by none other than…" His eyes widened. "Pinkie Pie?"

The pony named Cheese Sandwich jumped up into the air with joy, nearly hitting the ceiling that would have been there if he wasn't outside at the moment. "Time to pack our bags, Boneless 2! We're on a mission! A mission to help the best pink pony in the world throw a party!"


	24. Protecting her Son

"Mommy, mommy! Can I go out now, can I?" asked the little unicorn filly as she bounced up and down in her seat.

"Settle down, Sweetie Belle," her mother Pearl said. "You still need to finish your Brussels sprouts."

"But I wanna meet up with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. We wanna figure out what we need to do to become Cutie Mark Crusaders Adventurers!"

"Adventurers?" Pearl asked. "What on Equestria gave you that idea?"

"Apple Bloom's mom," Sweetie Belle grinned. "She's the greatest adventurer we've ever seen, maybe even better than Daring Do. We wanna go on adventures and rescue evil monsters and fight buried treasures and dig up damsels in distress… um, you know what I mean."

Pearl Belle gave her youngest daughter a stern look. "Sweetie, that's not a proper thing to say. Epona Apple, your friend's mother and one of my best friends was a loving mother and a hard-working apple farmer. I have no idea where you got that nonsense about her being an adventurer."

"But it's true!" Sweetie protested. "I've seen her. She fought evil lizard creatures and saved me from drowning and…"

"Stop it! That is not how you speak about the departed, young lady," Pearl scolded her daughter. "I don't know where you and your friends have been yesterday, but I have the feeling you're letting your imagination run a bit too wild."

"But it's true, we were in the desert and…"

"No talking back, missy! If you keep that up, I'll have to think twice about letting you play at the beach again. All that sand and salt water we had to remove from your fur yesterday, and now these wild stories… also, I think these escapades with your friends are getting out of hand. You'll never get your cutie mark if you decide to follow strange, imaginative pony tales. Listen, about these singing lessons I told you about…"

"I don't wanna go to that musician pony with the cello again," Sweetie shouted. "She's boring! I wanna be an adventurer and you can't stop me. And you can eat your stupid Brussels sprouts yourself!" And with these words, the filly jumped from her chair and ran out of the room.

Her mother gasped. "Sweetie Belle, you come back here right this instant! Don't make me get your father… Sweetie Belle!"

In a huff, she stomped into the living room, where her husband was sitting in a comfortable arm chair, reading a newspaper.

"Honey, your daughter is being cranky again. And irresponsible!"

"That's nice, sweetheart," Magnum mumbled as he kept reading. "Oooh, the Trottingham Timberwolves got a new quarterback…"

Rolling her eyes, Pearl pushed down the paper. "Stop reading the paper when I'm talking to you!"

"Huh, what?" Magnum asked. "Oh, s-sure… listen to your mother, Sweetie Belle, and…" He looked around. "Oh, she isn't here?"

Pearl sighed. "Never mind…" she muttered as she left her husband to his sports news. She followed her daughter outside, but she was already gone. "That little filly… I don't know what to do with her."

"Hello, mother." Pearl turned her head when her oldest daughter Rarity came walking towards her parents' home, carrying a heavy bag with her magic. "Here are the remains of the cotton bolts you've lent me. I must say, sometimes the simplest cloth can help make a great dress…" Rarity then noticed her mother's expression. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, that sister of yours," Pearl sighed. "She's being difficult again. Right after you brought her home yesterday, she kept telling me about all the fun adventures she had with her little friends, chasing monsters and so on, you know, the usual. But this time, she put it in her head that she really wants to become an adventurer herself. And on top of that, she lied to me that Applejack's mother was with her. And here I thought I taught her to respect the dead…"

"Mother… are you telling me no pony told you?" Rarity asked.

"Told me what?" Pearl asked.

"Mrs. Apple… Applejack's mother… she's not really dead. I met her yesterday. In fact, she rescued me and a handsome swordfighter stallion from an evil cult and…"

"Now you're doing it, too?" Pearl groaned. "I can imagine such nonsense coming from a small child, but you? I expected better from a grownup mare, Rarity. Why do you girls insist on coming up with these ridiculous stories?"

"Mother… I am very, very serious here. I am not a pony who would make a story like that up," Rarity said in a calm voice. "And if you remember, I've been in a couple of ridiculous situations ever since I received the Element of Generosity. I've been kidnapped by Diamond Dogs, I was turned into a greedy, self-obsessed pony by the master of chaos, I was tricked by the schemes of an evil shape shifter queen and I was forced to swap cutie marks with my friend Rainbow Dash. Do you honestly think that your friend having survived and saving me and Sweetie Belle from dangerous creatures is so far-fetched?"

Pearl stared at Rarity with wide eyes. "You are telling me… Sweetie Belle… she was telling the truth?"

Rarity nodded.

"Oh my goodness…" Pearl muttered. "E-excuse me please, darling… your mother needs to take care of something…" And Rarity observed her mother running off, in the rough direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

"I probably should have told her about what happened when I brought Sweetie Belle home yesterday," Rarity muttered to herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Fluttershy's cottage…

Ruto impatiently tapped her finned feet to the ground. "How long is this going to take? You've been petting those little critters the whole morning, feeding them, talking to them, fluffing their pillows… I was hoping we could do something together."

"But this is what I do every morning," Fluttershy explained with a smile. "I'm Ponyville's animal caretaker, you could say. Without me, these poor little things would have nopony to care for them, no home, nopony who nurses them back to health when they get sick. In return, they have become my friends. Maybe you would like to have a little furry friend of your own, Ruto?"

The princess raised her eye ridge. "A furry animal… for a princess who prefers to stay underwater?"

"Right, that probably wouldn't be a good idea," Fluttershy blushed. "Um, let me think… how about an otter? Their fur is fully water-insulated, so they stay nice and warm while swimming."

Ruto snorted. "I doubt they'd want to stay with me after what happened yesterday. You saw how angry they were, right?"

"Then what about a cute little newt?"

"No."

"A duck?"

"No."

"A turtle?"

"No!" Ruto nearly shouted. "Listen, I'm not interested in having a pet, okay? I'm busy enough with taking care of Lord Jabu-Jabu back home, I can't care for a critter."

"Jabu-Jabu?" Fluttershy asked. "Oh, that's a lovely name. I didn't know you already had a pet. What is he?"

Ruto grimaced. She had absolutely no intention of telling the yellow pegasus that she was taking care of what was practically the deity her people worshipped. "He's… a whale."

Fluttershy's eyes widened. "A… whale? Oh my gosh… I've never had the opportunity of meeting a whale… let alone taking care of him. Can I come visit you some day and see him? Oh, pretty pretty please?"

Ruto was about to say no, but Fluttershy stared up with her with the biggest eyes and the most adorable expression she had ever seen in her life… she couldn't possibly say no to that. So she sighed. "All right… whenever I get the chance of inviting you to my kingdom, I will introduce you to Lord Jabu-Jabu."

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" Fluttershy gushed while she gave her new friend a big hug. Ruto couldn't help but enjoy the fuzzy feelings this was causing within her.

Coughing nervously, she said: "W-well, now that that's taken care of, can we finally go somewhere? No offense, but this place of yours is pretty boring."

"Oh, I would love to show you all of Ponyville," Fluttershy said. "But unfortunately… I'm holding an assertiveness seminar this afternoon. And I doubt I'll have the time… I'm sorry, I completely forgot about it."

Ruto looked at her in surprise. "YOU of all ponies are holding an assertiveness seminar?" She only knew the pegasus for two days, but she already had a pretty good picture of the shy mare.

"Oh yes," Fluttershy nodded. "Mr. Iron Will helped me so much with his own seminar… even though there were a couple of problems along the way… anyway, it inspired me to start my own little group. We always meet at the same time in the week, right here, behind my cottage. I was surprised, but there are a lot of creatures that have trouble expressing their true feelings. We share our experiences and try to give each other good advice. Maybe you want to join us? I'd love to introduce you to them."

"Oh, all right," Ruto sighed. "I guess I have nothing better to do. Also, it might be interesting. You're saying there aren't only ponies in that group of yours, right?"

"No no, it's quite the diverse group," Fluttershy said. "You'll see."

* * *

"Feeding the pigs?" Link groaned. "Really?"

"Come on now, big hero," I grinned as I poured the bucket of leftovers into the pig's trough. "You're living under my family's roof for free, you can show some gratitude by doing some of the chores."

"That has never been a problem," Link muttered as he emptied his own bucket. He winced when the pigs' messy eating habits caused some of the slop to splash over his tunic. "I've helped Malon's father herd the cuccos, if you remember. But this? I've never heard of a hero who handled pigs in his free time."

"Okay, Mr. Picky-Pants," I snickered. "You can help me sell some apples on the market in the afternoon. Does that sound better?"

"Do I at least get a heart piece out of it?" Link grumbled.

I wanted to give him a snappy remark, when I heard somepony coming up the path to the farm. I looked and saw a young adult earth pony mare with a cerise coat. I wiped some of the pig slop out of my face and approached her. "Hello, welcome to Sweet Apple Acres. Can I help you?"

"Oh, you must be a new farm hand," the mare said. "Sorry, but I was looking for Big Macintosh. I'm his little sister's teacher, you see…"

"You're Apple Bloom's teacher?" I asked in surprise. "Miss Cheerilee?"

"Oh, so you already met Apple Bloom and she told you about me? How sweet!" she smiled. "Isn't she just the cutest filly? And her brother is so handsome…"

I frowned. I always welcomed praise for my children, but I didn't like that mare's voice. "So if you're Apple Bloom's teacher… what business do you have with Big Macintosh?"

"It's such a beautiful day, you see?" Cheerilee said. "And I know he's usually almost finished with his morning chores by this hour… so I wanted to invite him to a picnic at the gazebo." She giggled. "He's such a nice stallion, isn't he? So big and strong…"

I had heard enough. "So, what you're saying is, you want to fool around with my son."

"Well, I wouldn't call it fooling… wait… what did you say?" She looked at me closer. "Say, who are you?"

"I am Epona Apple," I said while glaring at her. "And that handsome, strong stallion you are interested in is my son. And I believe he deserves better than being treated like a piece of meat!"

She gulped nervously. Good. I'll let her sweat for a while. "Well, you see… I didn't mean it like that. Big Mac and I have been good friends for quite some time…"

"Oh, so you're just friends all of a sudden?" I asked. "Didn't sound like that up until now. What were you planning on doing at the gazebo? Seducing him with your good looks?"

Link grimaced. "Epona… don't you think that's a little harsh?"

"You stay out of this, Link!" I snapped.

She blushed. "P-please… I've n-never considered… oh dear…"

"What the hay is going on out here?" Granny Smith shouted as she came outside. "Can't a mare enjoy a little beauty sleep? Now what are you so saddle-sore about, daughter-in-law?"

"This mare is trying to flirt with my son," I said, never taking my eyes off the sweating teacher.

Granny Smith followed my gaze and walked up to her. "Why, good day to you, Miss Cheerilee. Yer lookin' good as ever."

"Oh, Granny Smith… thank you… say, is this mare really…?"

The Apple matriarch nodded. "Eeyup. She's my daughter-in-law, wife to my son and mother to my grandchildren. Also, she could learn some manners." Surprised, I took a step backwards when Granny looked back at me. "Did it ever cross your mind to invite Cheerilee inside, Epona?"

"Oh, I really don't want to be a bother," Cheerilee muttered, looking quite intimidated. Just what I wanted. But I really didn't like where Granny Smith was going with this.

"Inside? Her?" I nearly shouted. "That floozy teacher is trying to seduce my son!"

"Fer yer sake, I'll pretend I didn't hear that, young filly!" Granny shouted. "Miss Cheerilee has been a close friend to the family for years. Apple Bloom absolutely adores her as a teacher and Big Mac and her were friends ever since they were little foals."

I gritted my teeth. "That still doesn't give her the right…"

"You haven't been part of this family for years, missy!" Granny shouted. "I invited you to live here once again with yer family, givin' you the chance to bond with the children you didn't see in years. But don't expect you can just settle in and expect to make all the decisions by yerself. My father, may Celestia bless his soul, built this farm on this land with his very own hooves, and he welcomed all sorts of strangers with hospitality and tolerance. I inherited everything from him, and as long as I live, I will make any decision on who gets to stay and who gets to leave? Did I make myself crystal clear?"

That threw me off guard. Of course I knew she was right. This was her home and she had every right of welcoming her in. Still, I felt protective of my son, and the way she talked about him before was something I could not forget so easily. But for now, I just nodded my head meekly. I did not want to get on Granny's bad side.

"I… really don't want to be a bother," Cheerilee spoke up, hesitantly. "Believe me, it was not my intention to insult you or Big Macintosh, ma'am. If I had known it was you… no, that does not excuse my behavior. I apologize. Big Mac is a wonderful stallion and he really deserves better. So… I suppose I'll be going home now…"

She turned around, only to be stopped in her tracks by the enormous body of Big Mac. "Nnnope."

She looked at the ground. "Really, I should be going, Big Mac. I don't want to upset your mother…"

He stood firm and shook his head. "Nnnope." Afterwards, he glared at me.

I sighed in defeat. After all, my son was a grown stallion, fully capable of making his own decisions. "Fine, take her to the gazebo," I muttered. "But make sure to be back before midnight, got it?"

Positively surprised, Cheerilee looked back at me with a gasp. Big Mac just smiled at me and said: "Eeyup." After that, he gave the teacher a nudge and left with her.

"I'm still going to keep an eye on her," I grumbled.

"Stop your worrying! That filly has her heart on the right spot," Granny said. "Oh, and by the way: Now you know how I felt when my son first introduced you to me."

I blushed a bit, recalling that moment. "Okay, maybe I was a bit harsh. Well, at least we brought that drama behind us."

"EPONA!" shouted a voice I knew too well. "I'm willing to forgive you for making us all believe you were dead. But now I hear you've been in Ponyville for two days and never thought of informing me?"

I groaned inwardly as I turned to face the next visitor. "Hello, Pearl…" I muttered.

* * *

Behind Fluttershy's cottage, an wild assortment of different creatures was sitting in a circle. There were a dragon, a diamond dog, an orange pegasus filly, a griffon and a blue unicorn.

"Hello, everycreature," Fluttershy smiled as she fluttered into the circle. "It's lovely to see you all again. Today, I'd like you all to welcome a guest who wants to see what we are doing here together. Please meet Ruto… she's a sea pony."

"Zora," Ruto muttered as she walked into the circle. "It's called Zora. And, um… hello."

"Hello, Ruto!" the circle of creatures chorused.

"Please have a seat," Fluttershy told her newest friend while she sat down on a stump. "Now, why don't you introduce yourselves to her one by one? This is an excellent way for you to build up your assertiveness. Let's start with you, Garble."

"Again?" the red teenage dragon groaned. "Haven't I done this just last week? Fine…" He stood up. "Hello, I'm Garble the dragon. I'm here because my father thinks that, for some reason, I need to learn respect for ponies." He made a grimace.

"How is your father doing, by the way?" Fluttershy asked. "I hope he found a nice new spot for his hoard."

Garble rolled his eyes as he sat back down. "Yeah, whatever…" he grumbled. He didn't dare speak up against the pegasus for two reasons. One, his father could be pretty scary when he's angry. Two, Fluttershy could be even scarier when she uses her stare.

"Good, Garble. So, who do we have next?"

"The GREAT and POWERFUL Trrrrixiiiee…"

Fluttershy frowned. "Now, now. What did I say about introducing yourself, Trixie?"

The unicorn groaned. "Fiiine… I'm Trixie, and… well… I'm learning how to properly talk to ponies without seeming like a show-off. Even though I still don't see how that is bad. I talk like that for a living! I entertain ponies with it!"

"But there's a difference between entertainment and casual conversations," Fluttershy said. "Some people might not realize the difference and be irritated by your behavior, especially if they don't know how nice you can actually be."

"Well, if you put it that way…" Trixie muttered. "Fine, I get it. Next one, please."

"Rover is here because greed is bad and kidnapping a pretty pony because Rover wants gems is bad, too. And so, Rover is here with nice wing-pony to learn to control greed."

"Good boy," Fluttershy smiled as she petted him. "My friend Spike also learned that greed can lead to pretty dangerous situations. I'm so proud of you… here, have a treat." She threw him a dog biscuit, which the diamond dog happily caught with his teeth. "Next to him, we have Gilda…"

The griffon clenched her beak. "Do I have to? I'm still feeling pretty uncomfortable about this. I don't want too many to find out that I'm here… especially not Dash."

"Oh, I'm sure she'd forgive you," Fluttershy said. "I'm not holding any grudge, and she's my friend."

Gilda crossed her arms and looked at the floor. "Still, I'm not ready to talk… to her… but if the fish wants to know my name, it's Gilda."

Ruto frowned. "Fish? I'll have you know I'm a Zora princess, you insolent chicken!"

"What was that?" Gilda roared as she leapt to her feet and bared her claws. "You wanna rumble, fish sticks?"

"Ruto, be nice," Fluttershy scolded. "I told you they are just learning how to properly express themselves. And Gilda, what did I say about unnecessary aggression?"

The griffon pulled back her head. "Sorry… still getting used to it, Flutters. Um, you still won't tell Dash about this, right? I don't wanna stand in front of her until I can get this temper of mine sorted out."

Fluttershy smiled. "Of course not. For now, it's a secret kept between you and me and the rest of our circle. Now, our last and youngest member…"

The filly sitting next to Gilda jumped up. "I'm Scootaloo and, well… I'm feeling very self-conscious because of my tiny wings…" She fluttered them a bit in embarrassment. "Other pegasi of my age can already fly, why I cannot."

"Very good, Scootaloo," Fluttershy smiled. "Talking about your fears is the first step to conquer them. I learned that when I first helped Ponyville with that tornado."

"Yeah, but had it easy. Rainbow Dash was there to help you out. She gave you a pep talk and everything. No assertiveness in the world will be enough to help me fly…"

"Now don't sell yourself short, squirt," Gilda said. "You're doing some cool stuff with that scooter, don't you?"

"Yes, but I still want to be able to fly," Scootaloo sighed.

The griffon looked back and forth and then leaned over to the pegasus filly. "Um… I'm gonna tell you a secret, kiddo… but you've got to promise me not to tell anyone. Especially not Dash!" She looked around. "That goes for all of you dweebs, understood?"

"A secret?" Scootaloo wondered. "What kind of secret?"

"W-well, when I was your age…" Gilda hemmed and hawed a bit. "Y'know… I wasn't that great of a flyer either. I was a late bloomer, like you. It was only later that my wings completely grew in and I was able to go to the Junior Speedsters Camp, where I met Dash." She looked back up at the group. "You all got that? Fine, let's get a round of laughing at the griffon!"

Nobody was laughing.

Scootaloo's eyes widened. "For real? You were a bad flyer as a kid."

"Just don't mention it too loud," Gilda muttered. "Don't wanna lose my reputation as the toughest griffon around… but yeah, I know what you're getting through. I also got a lot of idiots who would laugh at me back then. I guess that's why I'm getting angry so easily…"

"I think it was very brave of you to share this with us, Gilda," Fluttershy said. "You've made some great progress ever since you joined our group."

"Y-you really think so?" Gilda blushed under her feathers. "Um, I mean… yeah, sure I made progress. I'm awesome!"

Fluttershy and Scootaloo both giggled at the behavior, having heard it so many times from Rainbow Dash.

"And what about you, Miss Ruto?" Scootaloo asked. "You've got something you wanna share with us?"

"M-me?" Ruto asked, taken by surprise. "Um… I have no idea what you're talking about. Also, I don't see why I should tell you about my feelings…"

"Fishy pony can tell us," Rover said. "Secret stays in group. Rover will never tell."

"Yes, this is what this group is all about," Trixie nodded. "We tell each other our secrets because we know we can trust each other to keep them."

All around, everyone nodded. Except for Garble, who scoffed a little.

"Very well…" Ruto said hesitantly. "If you promise not to tell anyone… well, let's start from the beginning. I'm a princess of the Zora, and well… I've never learned anything else. I barely know anything about the world outside of our kingdom, about the other races or even about people who aren't royalty. So, um… I realized I have some trouble talking to other people." The more Ruto talked, the more she became relaxed while sharing her feelings with the others. She realized after listening to their own problems that there are people or creatures everywhere that have trouble showing what they feel inside… even in another world. She kept talking for almost half an hour before she was finished.

"And that's when I realized that I will probably never be with Link," she sighed. "Because he and I have different destinies… ah, screw this… because he really has no romantic interest in me! There, I said it!" She lowered her head ans sobbed a bit.

Fluttershy softly petted the crying Zora's head, while the rest of the circle looked at her with pity and a bit of understanding. "You poor thing," Fluttershy said. "But you can be glad, right? At least, he's still your friend and you didn't part ways with a fight."

"I guess that's true," Ruto muttered.

"Why that hero boy of all people, exactly?" Gilda asked. "I mean, I get he's hot and brave and all that stuff. But surely there are other guys like him out there, right?"

"I… guess so," Ruto shrugged. "It's just that I've thought about Link so much that I forget that there are others. Also, I'm a princess… I really don't know how to talk with commoners."

"Maybe you should go and talk to Twilight," Fluttershy suggested. "She just became a princess and had trouble fitting in. Doesn't that sound like a good idea?"

"Well… it might be worth a shot," Ruto admitted. "Then she blushed. "B-but I won't tell her how I feel about Link. And you guys won't tell him either, right?"

"As long as you don't blab out our secrets, yours is safe with us, fish sticks," Gilda grinned.

Ruto smirked. "Good to hear, chicken wings."

"Girls! What did I tell you about calling each other names?" Fluttershy scolded.


	25. Friendships made

The door to Sugarcube Corner jingled.

Cup Cake turned her head towards the door with a smile. "Good morning and welcome to Sugarcube… oh, it's you, May."

The mare walking in nodded in greeting. "Good morning to you, Mrs. Cake. I've come to place a big order on those delicious chocolate chip muffins for my big speech at the opening ceremony of Town Hall's new parking lot."

Cup Cake laughed. "Oh, stop being so formal. You're not in your office and there's nopony here but you, me and my two little munchkins upstairs. It's a slow day, Carrot is on a delivery and Pinkie is… somewhere… planning a party, I believe."

The mayor of Ponyville, known to almost everypony as simply Mayor Mare, let out a sigh. "Cup Cake… a pony of my position has to uphold a certain… reputation. What would the ponies of Ponyville think if they believe I'm not professional enough for the job?"

"Listen to yourself, you're starting to sound like Mrs. Harshwhinny from fifth grade. We've been friends for so long, Maybell Mare. I know there's a lot more to you than just duties and regulations. You were such a fun pony to be around back in the days. And now you…"

"Let me guess… now I'm such a stick-in-the-mud who doesn't know how to laugh, who even died her mane from pink to gray just to appear more professional. Is that what you wanted to say?"

"Well… I was going to say, now you barely come for a visit anymore, but I guess what you said is correct as well. You know what I think, May?" Cup came around the counter and looked at her friend with worry. "You're working too hard. You're working yourself into what you believe to be the perfect image of a Ponyville mayor, but you barely give yourself any time to relax."

"I can't help it, Cuppy," Maybell sighed, dropping her professional act altogether. "I live in a village close to Canterlot, where Princess Celestia comes for a visit almost once a week, where her personal prodigy lives… who has also become a princess by now, and she is one of the holders of the six Elements of Harmony, who saved our kingdom again and again. I try to do my best for this town, and yet I feel so inadequate because these ponies are basically doing my job for me."

"That's because they are honestly trying to help," Cup said. "They don't flaunt their positions or anything, they see themselves as simple residents of Ponyville, even Princess Twilight. Their hearts are in the right place. It's ponies like that Ponyville needs, not new parking lots."

"I guess I overdid it a bit with all the ceremonies, huh?" May muttered. "Maybe I should take a little break."

"That's my girl!" Cup smiled as she gave her friend a hug. "Trust me, it's the right decision. And you couldn't have made it at a better time. See, there's an old friend of ours back in town…"

The door opened once again and a pair of chatting mares entered. "I'm not saying she should constantly put herself in danger, Pearl. I just think you shouldn't put her on a leash."

"I know perfectly well how to take care of my daughter, thank you very much. And I fail to see how running around in monster-infested areas is helping my Sweetie become a better pony."

"Well, for once she'd feel like she has actually accomplished something, besides finding out what's NOT her special talent."

"Epona Apple! This is my daughter we're talking about! And unless you want me to start giving you orders how to deal with your own children, I suggest you…"

Maybell Mare let out a loud gasp. "EPONA?"

* * *

I rolled my eyes. 'Oh boy, here we go again…' I thought.

It was just a matter of time. Now the whole gang was back together again. Cup Cake, Pearl Belle, Maybell Mare and… me. Epona Apple. I was not prepared for this at all.

Maybell gave me the same astonished stare that Pearl had given me just a short while ago. "It… it IS you, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's me," I said. "Hey May, how's it going?" I took a closer look at her. "Wow, what happened to you? You really changed a lot. Your mane is so… grey. Just how much did you age while I was gone?"

She looked embarrassed. "It's… dyed, Epona. But never mind that… what happened to you? I thought you were…"

"Look, do I really have to repeat this story again and again?" I groaned. "I just told it to Pearl. So here's the short version: A meteor hit me, I was somehow transported to another land, I helped a local hero defeat an evil warlord and I came back home just two days ago. Is that enough?"

"Y-yes… I think… wait… you did… what? And I… you… huuuuh?" After that, barely any audible sound left May's mouth.

"I think you overwhelmed May a bit, Epona," Cuppy chuckled. "But it's great you're all here. May just told me she needs a break from her hard work as the mayor." So she actually went from desk clerk to mayor? That figures…

"And I thought, the four of us could spend the afternoon together, drink a nice cup of coffee and talk about the good old times," Cuppy smiled. "What do you think, girls? Isn't that a good idea?"

"Sure, why not?" I shrugged. May just responded with a dumbfounded nod.

Pearl seemed hesitant. "I don't know… I have to take Sweetie Belle to her singing lessons this afternoon…"

"Doubt it, she already went fishing with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo before you arrived," I told her.

"Oh, that girl…" Pearl sighed. "Well… I still need to go to the hairdresser and get my mane done…"

"Your mane looks fine," I said. "Stop trying to make up excuses. Believe it or not, I missed you girls a lot. And I'd really like to catch up, learn more about what you did with your lives, your families, your jobs and so on."

"That's just what I was hoping for," Cuppy smiled. "Just like in old times… it's going to be so much fun."

"Fiiiine," Pearl sighed.

* * *

"Gah!" Saria screamed and jumped backwards as the thorny vine crept down the trunk of the tree. "Those trees are really dangerous. It isn't like in the Lost Woods at all."

Zecora nodded. "It is true, dear fairy child. The Everfree is untamed and wild. Living here would be unwise for any fool. But you can handle it if you have the correct tool." She took a long stick and held it in the thorny vine's direction. The vine curled around the stick and pulled it up into the leaves.

"This was the perfect way to distract," Zecora explained. "Now is the time that we act. Quickly gather the pollen of the flower. But then we should leave within the hour."

"You certainly know a lot about the plants in this forest, Zecora," Saria said as she approached the flowers growing near the bottom of the tree, quickly gathering some of their pollen. "Is this enough."

"This is plenty, I must thank you. This pollen is perfect for my brew."

"Let's go back to your house before the vines change their minds and decide they want to have zebra and Kokiri for dinner instead of just a stick," Saria said. Together, they went back to Zecora's hut, where the potion maker put the bag of pollen in one of her many shelves of ingredients.

"I must inquire, honored guest. How is your home forest different from the rest?"

"Well, I'm not saying the Lost Woods aren't dangerous," Saria said. "There are a couple of dangerous creatures living there. But the main danger lies in the possibility of getting lost. The forest is magical, and those who don't know the exact direction will quickly end up getting lost… hence the name. We Kokiri usually stay within our village, but Hylians face another danger: If they stay in the forest for too long, they might risk getting turned into a Skull Kid, or Stalfos. On the other hand, Kokiri aren't usually allowed to leave the forest either. As the Sage of the Forest, I am an exception of the rule, though."

Zecora looked at her thoughtfully. "I could sense your affinity to the trees. What pony normally comes to this forest, flees. But even though your size is small, you stand up against the dangers tall."

"But you are also different, aren't you, Zecora?" Saria asked. "Unlike those ponies, you don't run away. You adapted and learned from the forest."

"I learned to respect it, little sprite. Too many fear the Everfree's spite. But if you patient enough to learn, there's a lot for you to earn." She gestured towards the shelves and cupboards in her hut, filled with all sorts of herbs and potions. "All the brews you have in sight, were created with the forest's might. Plants that only grow in Everfree are potent for strong elixirs, you see?"

"I think I understand," Saria nodded. "If you take your time and learn from the forest, instead of fearing it, you can gather all these herbs to create helpful potions. Come to think of it, I found this mysterious mushroom in the Lost Woods before coming here." The green-maned filly reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a bright red mushroom with yellow spots. "I don't really know a lot about potions, but do you have any use for it?"

"Possibly, we'll have to see," Zecora said as she looked at the mushroom. "I have an idea, give it to me. I'll try out a new brew… but first I need a bottle, empty and new."

Saria grinned as she reached into her bag again. "I have one of those."

* * *

The giant pile of boulders crumbled into thousands of little pebbles that fell down all around the massive body of the stone ox.

Snorting, he turned around to face the ponies that watched the spectacle with bewildered looks on their faces. All, except for one mare who always kept the same stoic expression.

"So, how was this? Pretty good, eh? Shall I keep going?"

"Yes, please," Maud said in her monotone voice. "There are more rocks like this in the eastern field. Would you horribly mind taking care of those as well?"

"You got it, Maud," Darunia nodded. "Just leave it to this Goron."

While Darunia went back to work, Maud was approached by her father and two of her sisters. "Maud… are you one hundred percent convinced that this is a good idea?" Igneous Pie asked his oldest daughter.

"Yes," Maud said. "Darunia's method is faster than any procedure we've been using on this rock farm. He's able to finish a day's amount of work within an hour. It is the most efficient way and he doesn't mind helping."

"Well… I guess that's fine then…" Igneous took off his hat and scratched his head. "It's just… feels a bit strange, having nothing to do at all."

"I think Maud just wants to watch him work on the farm," Inkie smirked. "I've seen it the moment you brought him here. Admit it, sis. You like the big guy."

"He… is most efficient in what he does," Maud said with just the slightest hint of hesitation.

Inkie nudged her side. "C'mon, it's as obvious as a geode in a field of limestone. Even Dad noticed."

Maud looked at her father. "Is it really that obvious?"

Igneous coughed. "Well… for a lack of better words, let's just say I've never seen you more… radiant than today. Apart from the day Pinkamena was born, or when you met Boulder."

Maud blushed inwardly. Any other pony outside of her family wouldn't have noticed any difference on her face. "He's just so… handsome. Rugged. Big. Bulky. Like the biggest boulder in the middle of an avalanche."

"Please don't start reciting your poetry now, we get the point," Inkie snickered. She then noticed that her other sister didn't seem too happy. "Blinkie? What's wrong? Aren't you happy for sis?"

"It's not that," Blinkie muttered. "She can date whoever she wants. I'm just miffed that this big stone guy took away all of my fun."

"It's just for today," her father said. "I think you can endure one day without having to work."

"One entire day of boredom!" Blinkie almost cried. "All of my beloved explosives are lying around useless in the shack… it's not fair! I wanna blow something up!"

Igneous sighed to himself while Inkie tried to calm down her demolition expert sister.

* * *

At the same time, Rauru was still at Canterlot castle, browsing through the extensive library. While he was reading ancient Equestrian texts, a maid pony was busy fluttering among the shelves, dusting them off.

"I think I'm starting to get the hang of this unicorn magic," Rauru smiled to himself as he used his new horn to turn the pages. "What is this? The EUP was founded from earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns alike, but later a specialized flying team called the Wonderbolts was formed. But at the same time, the Night Guard was formed from Nocturnian volunteers… intriguing! So the army split up into two sides even before the rise of Nightmare Moon. I need to read more about this… I wonder if I can find anything in any of the adjacent shelves about these Nocturnals."

"Biology section," the maid said while flying overhead. "Third row to your right."

"Oh, thank you very much for your assistance, miss," Rauru nodded as he walked over to the mentioned bookshelf and pulled out an old version of 'Creatures of the Night'. He put the book down and started reading.

"According to this, the Nocturnals are their own species of ponies," he muttered. "Sometimes also called Thestrals, they are generally mistrusted by the other ponies of Equestria and live in their own society, a colony within the Fortress of Midnight in the Crescent Mountains. They usually have dark fur, manes and wings to blend in with the darkness. Their slitted eyes allow them perfect night vision even in the darkest of night, even though it makes them extremely sensitive to light. They have leathered wings like those of a bat, which allows them to fly from a very early age on. They are slower flyers than pegasi but have a much higher endurance, allowing them to stay in the air for several hours. They also can emit sonar screams to help them navigate. These screams, if pitched correctly, are often used by Nocturnian soldiers as weapons against enemies with sensitive ears."

"Did you find what you needed?" the maid pony asked as she fluttered down next to him.

"Yes, you've been very helpful," the scholar nodded as he turned to look at her. "Thank y…" He stopped himself when he took his first clear look at the maid and her leathered wings.

"You… you are a Nocturnian."

"That's correct," she nodded.

"That is… astounding! If I had known this, I wouldn't have had to read so much about it. I could have asked you myself." He laughed a bit. "Then again, nothing like some good, old-fashioned research, right? Oh, where are my manners? I am Rauru, Sage of Time and head librarian of Hyrule Castle."

"Night Glide," the bat pony introduced herself. "Head maid in the service of Princess Luna."

"Pleased to meet you," the elderly unicorn nodded. "Say, would you mind if I asked you a couple of questions?"

"Not at all," Night Glide said. "Ask away."

"Splendid!" Rauru smiled. "First of all, this book said you Nocturnians live within Midnight Fortress. How come you are here, then?"

"I've lived with the rest of my tribe in the fortress since my birth," Night Glide explained. "Ever since Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon, we Nocturnals were not allowed to leave our mountain except for special occasions. It was only several hundred years later that the restriction was lifted, allowing us to live with other ponies again."

"I don't imagine you were welcomed with open hands," Rauru said. "Or… hooves, in this case."

"No." Night Glide shook her head. "The other tribes were extremely suspicious of our intentions. And I don't blame them. We've lived in isolation for hundreds of years. Still, I was one of the first Nocturnals to leave the fortress and try a new life outside of it. And while many were distrustful, others were not, allowing me to make some friends. I even married a nice pegasus stallion and started a family. And when Princess Luna returned, my experience with life among the other tribes was the reason why she offered me a job here in Canterlot."

"This is a very, very fascinating insight in the matter from the view of a Nocturnal," Rauru muttered as he wrote everything down with a quill. "You wouldn't mind if I write a book about this, do you?"

"Go ahead," Night Glide said. "I don't mind… though I am surprised that the first book you want to write about Equestria is about Nocturnals."

"Oh, it's not the first one I'm going to write," Rauru laughed. "After this abundance of information, I will need an entire new section in my own library… a new wing will probably have to be constructed."

"Looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you," the bat pony said. "But even a scholar needs a rest. Would you like to take a break and have a cup of tea?"

"Why, that sounds absolutely delightful," Rauru smiled. "I just wish the princess could join us… I wonder what she's doing at the moment."

* * *

"Flap your wings harder next time!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "If you want to go against the wind, you need to work on your wing muscles. So get up there again and get flapping!"

Princess Zelda groaned as she lifted her head from the cloud she just crash-landed on. "This is exhausting…" she muttered. "She's just as stern as an instructor as Impa."

Twilight giggled as she helped her fellow alicorn back up. "Yeah, Rainbow is pretty ruthless when it comes to flight training. I've been through this while drill before, trust me."

"What's up with the chatting?" Rainbow asked as she flew towards them. "Do you want to keep practicing or not?"

"Listen, I am very grateful that you agreed to help me with this," Zelda sighed. "But can't we take a little break? My wings are starting to hurt."

'Strange, I never thought I would ever say something like this,' she thought to herself.

"Oh, fine… I guess we can take a little recess. But don't get too comfortable… cloud maneuvering is next!"

Zelda suppressed the urge to groan yet again.

"Whatever Link is doing right now, it can't be as tiring as this."

* * *

"Thank you for bringing me this muffin," the grey-colored pegasus named Derpy Hooves smiled. "Not, can you do me a favor? I have this letter that needs to be delivered right away, and I really, really can't go at the moment."

Link gritted his teeth. "Why is it that no matter which dimension I'm in, there's ALWAYS some sort of trading quest involved?"

"Here you go," Derpy said as she gave him an envelope. "Please bring this to Vinyl Scratch. But she has to go to work soon, so you need to deliver this within the next fifteen minutes."

Link wanted to scream.


	26. Trade Sequences for Dummies

After helping out on the farm, Link found that he had a little time for himself on his hooves. Fearing that spending too much time on Sweet Apple Acres would end up with him getting roped back into work, he decided to go into town. And since Epona had already left with one of her old friends, he decided to take another friend along.

He found Navi snoozing peacefully on one of the lower branches of an apple tree. Link gently nudged the branch and shook her awake. "Wakey wakey, little fairy!" he smirked.

Navi yawned cutely as she rose up. "Oh… it's you, Link. I've been so bored ever since you've returned. Fluttershy now hangs around with Ruto and Saria has vanished someplace else. Can we do something fun together?"

He grinned. "That's just what I was about to suggest. Let's go to town and see what we can do. We've never had any chance to try that sweets shop, Sugarcube Corner or whatever it is called. And I'd love to see if there are any shops that offer fun games, like a shooting gallery or anything like that."

"I'm all for it," Navi said as she sat down in-between his ears. "Trot along, horse-boy!"

He frowned as he started walking towards town. "Can you not call me that?"

"Why? That's what you are at the moment. Any reason why you're still walking around as a pony?"

"I'm trying to fit in," he said. "Also, the more time I spend in this form, the more I get used to it. I don't want to end up in a situation like back in the desert, where I barely had any time to learn how to fight while I'm on four hooves."

"Fair enough," Navi shrugged as they reached Ponyville. "Hey look, they have a theater. I wonder how good their performers are…"

"I don't want to sit still and watch others do something," Link said. "I wanna do something on my own." He looked around. "Do you see a Bombchu Bowling Alley or anything like that around here?"

"Hey you!" a chipper voice next to him spoke up.

Link turned around and saw a mint-colored unicorn standing next to him. She had a big grin on her face. "Um, yes? Can I help you?"

"You're that new stallion Bonnie and I bumped into the other day, right? I never got the chance to introduce myself. I'm Lyra… what's your name?"

"Well, pleased to meet you then, Lyra. I'm Link and this is my friend, Navi."

"Hey, that's the parasprite that perched on my horn," Lyra said.

"I'm not a parasprite," Navi said in annoyance. "I'm a fairy. And you hurled me across half of Ponyville with that spell of yours."

"Oops. Yeah, sorry about that," the unicorn giggled. "I really thought you were a parasprite. Nasty little things, ya know? But anyways… Link, right? There was something I wanted to ask you about."

"Sure, what is it?" he asked.

Her grin widened and she came closer, uncomfortably close to be exact. Link inched back a bit when she stared directly at him with those giant eyes of hers.

"Is it true… that you can transform into something… something bigger than a pony? With two legs? And HANDS?"

That took him by surprise. "H-how… how do you know that?"

"Sweetie Belle and her friends told me when they ran into me just a couple of minutes ago. So they're RIGHT? You actually CAN do that?"

"Y… yeah… it's true. But, um, could you please stay quiet about this? I don't want everypony to know about it just yet."

"Yeah, no problem," she grinned. "But I'm so excited… EEEEEEEEEEE! A real, life human here in Ponyville! Ohmygosh! This is the best day ever!"

"Sorry, a what?" Navi asked. "Link is a Hylian, not a human."

"Hylian?" Lyra frowned. "What's that supposed to be?"

"Well, I suppose I can show you… in a back alley or someplace else where there aren't that many ponies…"

"Oh… that would be awesome, but I just remembered I'm actually in a hurry. I'm late for lyre practice, and Bon Bon wanted me to pick up some carrots from the market. Sweet Luna, I'm already late as it is. Listen, can you do me a favor? Take this satchel of bits and buy a bushel of carrots for me, would ya? And bring them to my marefriend, Bon Bon."

"Well, I guess that's no problem. I've got lots of time," Link said.

Lyra grinned and levitated a small little pouch towards his mouth for him to take. "Great! Our house is across the main square, right next to the joke shop. See ya later!" And she ran off.

Navi crossed her arms. "Didn't you tell me you wanted to do something fun today?"

"Yes, but this is not a big deal, right? We take care of this and have more than enough time left to do something else. And she seemed like a nice pony, so let's do her this favor."

He trotted over to the carrot stand on the market. The mare behind it welcomed him with a smile. "Hello there, good sir. Come to buy some carrots, have you? The name's Carrot Top, and I grow the tastiest carrots in all of Ponyville."

"Yeah, I'd like a bushel," Link nodded as he placed the bag of bits on the counter. "Boy, these sure look tasty. No wonder Epona eats them all the time."

"One bushel of juicy, healthy carrots, coming right up," Carrot Top said. "That'll be three bits."

"There you go," Link said as he nudged the pouch over to her. He watched with envy how the earth pony mare effortlessly picked up the small coins with her mouth and dropped them in her cash box. In return, she wrapped up a bunch of carrots in a bushel and handed them over to Link. "Please enjoy and do come again."

"Thank you. Have a nice day," Link smiled and went on his way.

"See, that wasn't so bad?" he said to Navi. "Now all we need to to is bring these carrots to Lyra's friend, and we're done."

"Yeah yeah, just hurry up and do it already," Navi sighed. "I'm getting bored again."

"You're starting to sound a lot like Tatl, you know that?" Link asked.

"You take that back!"

After a bit of searching, they found the joke shop, and next to it, the house Lyra and Bon Bon were living in. Link rang the bell, and not too long after, the cream-colored earth pony opened. "Yes?"

"Hello, you're Lyra's friend, aren't you?" Link asked. "She asked us to buy some carrots and bring them to you."

"Ah, the carrots. Thank you, those will be great in that vegetable dish I'm preparing for the evening," Bon Bon smiled as she accepted them. "But that Lyra… I ask her to do one little thing in the house, and she lets somepony else do it for her. Between her lyre practice and her running around searching for imaginary two-legged creatures, she barely does anything to help me," she frowned. "I have my own business to attend, she has to realize that."

"What kind of business do you run?" Link asked curiously.

"I'm a confectioner," Bon Bon said. "I make sweets. Most of them end up in Sugarcube Corner, but I also sell some on the market. That reminds me, I've just finished a batch of sweets that need to be delivered to Mrs. Cake. I'd go myself, but since Lyra left all the housework to me… Are you maybe on your way to Sugarcube Corner yourself?"

"Well, I was planning on going there at some point today…" Link said.

"Wonderful," Bon Bon smiled. "Can you maybe take these sweets along with you? It won't take any of your time if you're already going there, right?"

Link suppressed the urge to groan. "Sure, no problem. I can do that." He ignored Navi's frown and took the sweets from Bon Bon, in exchange for the carrots.

* * *

"Again, Link? Why do you keep helping all those people you've never seen before in your life?" Navi asked. "It's the same as back in Hyrule… you can't ever say no, can you?"

"But they've been so nice, Navi," Link said. "And we were going to go there eventually. So it would be awfully rude to say no."

"But it's not even lunchtime," Navi complained. "I'm not hungry yet… and what about the fun part of the day? Can't we do this later?"

"It sounded like those ponies need the sweets pretty urgently," Link said. "We can pick up something to eat while we're there and eat it later for lunch. Is that okay with you?"

"Fiiine…" Navi muttered as they entered Sugarcube Corner.

A tall, lanky stallion came walking in the same moment they arrived. "Oh hey, you're the new stallion in town everypony keeps talking about," he smiled. "I'm Carrot Cake, my wife Cup Cake and I run Sugarcube Corner. You're her old friend Epona's friend, aren't you?"

"That's right, my name is Link," he nodded. 'Strange,' he thought. 'Those ponies are all so friendly. Back in Hyrule, no one was really interested in my name as long as I helped them with their problems. Must be a really pleasant place to live in.'

"Are those Bon Bon's sweets I'm smelling?" Carrot asked as they entered. "So that means you're delivering them. I was just on a delivery myself… so much to do," he chuckled. He then shouted: "Honeybuns! I'm home!"

"I'm in the back," Cup Cake shouted. "I have some guests, so could you take care of the customers, dear?" In addition to her voice, there were some feminine giggles, accompanied by a grumpy groan that sounded somewhat familiar to Link and Navi's ears.

"She's such a sweetheart," Carrot sighed. "I've been awfully lucky to have married such a wonderful mare. I guess that means a lot more work for me this afternoon… oh well, it can't be helped," he shrugged. "Anyways, thanks for bringing the sweets. Bon Bon sure knows how to make them. Can I interest you in some of our freshly baked pastries to go?"

"They sure look delicious," Link said. "I think I'll have one of these… and one of these… oh, that over there looks good, too."

Carrot chuckled. "I'll pack a mixed bag of everything. You'll like it, I'm sure." He started picking some pastries and cakes and packed them in a bag. "So, how do you like Ponyville so far?"

"It's certainly a nice little town," Link said. "Everypony is so nice… and the food is delicious. But you know, Navi and I have been wondering if there are any exciting activities we can partake in…"

"You're that kind of stallion that enjoys some physical activities, I take it?" Carrot asked. "Well, there's always the bowling alley. And I heard a pegasus from Cloudsdale has opened up an ice archery stand… with all the necessary safety precautions, of course."

Link's eyes lit up. "Archery?" he asked in excitement. "That's just what I was looking for! Thank you, Mr. Cake."

Carrot Cake smiled. "Always happy to help a friend of the family. Or… a friend's friend. Hope you enjoy your pastries." And he handed Link the bag.

Link took it gratefully and turned around to make his exit. "Finally," Navi sighed. "Now we can do something exciting…"

"Oh, before you leave…" Carrot spoke up. "Derpy came by early in the morning and ordered a blueberry muffin and we were all out… she already paid, so can you bring this one to her while you're on your way?"

Navi gritted her teeth.

Link sighed. "Looks like this is going to be a loooong day…"

* * *

"Look, just stop right here," Navi urged Link as they continued on. "You can stop right here and no pony will be mad at you. See, there's that bowling alley. And if we keep on walking, I'm sure you'll be able to give off some good shots at the archery stand."

"No!" Link insisted. "I'm not disappointing the husband of Epona's life-long friend, and not that poor pony who's been waiting for her muffin all day long either. Besides, if experience taught me anything, there's a good reward waiting for me at the end of this."

"But is it worth it?" Navi asked.

"I've made my decision," Link said as he reached Derpy's house and knocked at the door.

A young unicorn filly opened and looked up at him with young, innocent eyes.

"Um… hello," Link said. "We're looking for a pony named Derpy Hooves?"

The filly turned her head and shouted: "MOM! There's a weird pony in a gnome outfit with a parasprite who wants to talk to you!"

"For the last time, I'm not a parasprite," Navi grumbled.

When the grey pegasus arrived at the door, Link felt disoriented. Which way was she looking? Was she even seeing him?

"Thanks for opening the door for Mommy, muffin," the mare said in a pleasant voice. "You can go back to your coloring book." The filly went back inside and the mare smiled at Link. "My Dinky is so helpful. I'm Derpy. Who are you, mister? You smell like muffins."

Link took a deep breath. "I'm Link, this is Navi, she's a fairy, not a parasprite, this is not a gnome outfit and we're here to deliver this muffin from Sugarcube Corner."

"My muffin!" Derpy shouted happily as she accepted the gift. "Thanks, mister. You are very nice. Are you new in Ponyville?"

"I have the feeling we have to tell everyone we run into who we are and what we are doing here," Navi muttered.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Derpy smiled. "As for me, I'm Ponyville's mailmare. I always deliver my letters in time!" She gave the two a salute. "Anyways, thank you for bringing me this muffin. Now, can you do me a favor? I have this letter that needs to be delivered right away, and I really, really can't go at the moment."

Link gritted his teeth. "Why is it that no matter which dimension I'm in, there's ALWAYS some sort of trading quest involved?"

"Here you go," Derpy said as she gave him an envelope. "Please bring this to Vinyl Scratch. But she has to go to work soon, so you need to deliver this within the next fifteen minutes."

Link wanted to scream.

* * *

"I hate to say I told you so," Navi muttered as she lay on her back, on top of Link's cap, staring up into the sky, once again bored as Tartarus. "But… I told you so!"

"I'm sure… this one is the last," Link panted as he ran the distance between Derpy's and Vinyl's houses as fast as he could. "I kind of predicted this would take longer than we thought. But I never thought it would be this… tiring."

"Look at it this way, Link," Navi snickered. "At least you can run as fast as Epona now."

"Too bad she never told me just how tiring it is," Link grunted as he finally reached the house. "Whew… made it in time."

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Navi asked. "What are those loud noises coming from inside? Sounds like a bunch of Gorons are having a downhill rolling race."

"There are no Gorons in Equestria, it must be something else," Link said. "And this is the right address, so…" He knocked at the door. Nothing. He tried again. No response.

"Come on, open already!" he nearly shouted. "The time has almost run out."

"I'd give up if I were you," Navi said.

"Are you two looking for Vinyl?" a soft voice came from behind.

"Um, yeah," Link said. "But she doesn't seem to open…"

"She always does that in her free time," the elegant-looking grey mare shook her head with a sigh. "And I always tell her to lower the volume, too. But she never listens… is it urgent? I can go inside and tell her if you want."

"You'd do that?" Link asked in surprise. "Sure, go ahead… but if she doesn't hear your knocking…"

"Oh, I don't need to knock," the mare smiled. "I live here, I have a key. I'm Octavia, Vinyl's roommate." She took a small key and opened the door. Almost instantly, the sheer intensity of the noise that welcomed them made them stagger and blew Navi off Link's head.

"What… is that?" Link shouted. "Is that a monster roaring?"

"Sounds like it, but it's only Vinyl's music," Octavia shouted back. "Wait a second, I'll handle this." And she went inside.

"Music?" Navi screamed. "This awful, deafening cacophony of hell is supposed to be music? I don't believe it!" They followed the mare inside.

Meanwhile, Octavia had made it to Vinyl's room. The unicorn DJ was sitting at her homemade DJ console, headphones on, bobbing her head to the rhythm of the music.

"Vinyl?" Octavia shouted. "Vinyl, can you hear me? VINYL!" She grabbed the headphones and yelled into the unicorn's ear. "VINYL SCRATCH, CEASE THIS INFERNAL NOISE AT ONCE!"

Surprised, Vinyl looked at her. She lowered the volume a bit… but it was still awfully loud. "Oh, hey Octy," she grinned. "Didn't notice you come in. How was your day? Enjoy teaching the squirts some of your fancy singing?"

Octavia sighed. "There was no lesson today, Sweetie Belle couldn't make it… but never mind that now. Shut off that music and remove yourself from that seat for once. There's somepony for you at the door."

"For me?" The DJ switched off her music and grinned towards Link. "Heeeyyyy, you must be a fan, right? Sorry, no autographs in my freetime. You can contact my agent about that."

"Vinyl, you don't have an agent," Octavia muttered.

"What did she say?" Navi shouted. "My ears are still ringing."

"Actually… I'm here to deliver this letter to you," Link said. "So I'll give it to you and then we'll be on our way…"

"Sweet, that must be the invite for the party I was waiting for," Vinyl said. "Now all that's missing is the booze. Now if only there was somepony who could go to Berry Punch and ask her to deliver some of her finest drinks…"

This time, Link DID want to scream and already opened his muzzle.

"Buuuut, unfortunately, Pinkie Pie said there'd be no booze at her party this time around. Bummer!" She shrugged. "Oh well, what can you do? But hey, thanks for delivering this letter, dude."

"Don't mention it," Link muttered in a tired voice. "Now if you excuse me, I need to find myself a fainting couch…"

"Yeah, about that… Pinkie's kinda waiting for this list of songs I'm gonna play at her party and she needs it as soon as possible. And since I'm late for my job, well…"

"Let me guess… you want me to deliver it," Link asked.

"How'd you know?" Vinyl smirked. "But don't worry, you don't have to walk to the other edge of town or anything. It's really not that far."

"Oh, thank Farore for small miracles!" Link groaned. "So where do I need to go?"

"To Sugarcube Corner."

Navi covered her ears.

Link opened his mouth.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

* * *

"Don't you think it's about time we quit?" Navi grumbled. "It's already past lunchtime and we didn't even get to eat those pastries."

"Only this one, Navi… I swear to Din… this is going to be the final favor I'm going to do to anypony on this day," Link muttered as he, once again, dragged his body over to Sugarcube Corner. "And if anyone, anybody or anypony wants something else to be done after that, then I'll reply with: Forget it!"

"The first smart thing I've heard you say today," Navi muttered.

Link sighed and opened the door. "Party list for Pinkie P…"

"SURPRISE!"

Link was knocked down on his haunches in shock as he was blasted with confetti and streamers. Totally dazed, he looked around. He couldn't believe how much Sugarcube Corner had changed in the short time he was gone. Balloons were floating under the ceiling, streamers and all sorts of party decorations were hanging everywhere, a giant cake was standing in the middle of the room and nearly every single pony in Ponyville seemed to be present, wearing party hats and blowing into noisemakers. Even Epona, Zelda, Saria and all the rest of the sages were present.

"Surpriiiise!" Pinkie Pie shouted as she popped out of nowhere, as usual. "Hi there, Linky! You were the only one still missing to Pinkie Pie's super duper awesome spectacular let's-welcome-our-Hyrule-friends-to-Ponyville party!"

"That's right!" another pony, a yellow stallion, looking almost as crazy as the pink mare, shouted. "And as a certified pony party planner, I, Cheese Sandwich, say that this surprise was a success."

"Y… you're right about that one," Link muttered. "I'm very surprised."

"Great!" Pinkie cheered. "Because today, we all of Ponyville are here to thank you for everything you've done for us and for how awesome of a friend you are."

"She's right, Link," Twilight smiled. "Everypony told me what you did for them today. And that, in my opinion, makes you more than qualified to be welcomed not only to this party, but as a friend of all in Ponyville."

"That's right," Mayor Mare nodded. "And in my position as mare, it is my great pleasure to name Link an honorary citizen of Ponyville!"

"Kinda cheesy speech there, don't you think, May?" Epona muttered.

"I like cheese!" Cheese Sandwich said. "But never mind that now, because it's time to get this show on the road!"

* * *

Some time later, the party was already in full swing. Everypony was having a blast. And even though I wasn't exactly the social type, I enjoyed hanging out with my friends and their families. Link seemed to be the hero of the day, not because he saved somepony from a horrific monster, but because he managed to make lots of friends. That's Ponyville for you. I sipped down the rest of my drink and trotted over to him. "Enjoying the party so far?"

"Huh? Oh, it's you, Epona," he said. "Yeah, this is a lot of fun. Not what I expected, but fun."

"Glad to hear it," I grinned. "So you're not mad that you didn't get any new, powerful weapon or equipment for finishing this 'trading quest'?"

"I must admit, a shiny new sword would have been nice," Link said. "It's been a while ever since I had to give up the Master Sword. But you know what? That doesn't matter to me right now because I realized something."

"And what is that?" I asked.

He smiled. "Having lots of friends is the best thing I could ask for. And for that, I would gladly walk all those distances I put behind me today, over and over again."


	27. A Party at Sugarcube Corner

"So… basically, what you're saying is, you were a giant idiot."

Celestia sighed. "Yes, Luna. And I'm sorry. I told myself I only had the best intentions for Equestria, but the truth is, I was just scared. I should have never expelled the Gerudos from Equestria. And I intend on making it up to you, and them. Do you accept my apologies?"

The princess of the night smiled. "I wouldn't be much of a sister if I wasn't willing to let bygones be bygones. I forgive you, Tia." And the two sisters met in a short hug. "As for the Gerudos, it's up to them if they want to forgive you. But allowing them to live in Equestria once more would be a step in the right direction."

"You're right, Luna," Celestia nodded. "And I will keep the borders open. I am still afraid of what might come, but Nayru was right. We can face this together."

"And what about Farore?" Luna asked. "What if she stays stubborn and refuses to listen to reason?"

"I'll talk to her," Celestia said. "And even if we can't convince her, she will be outvoted. Don't worry, little sister. This time, the right decisions will be made."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation, just before Cadance came walking in. "Are you two ready yet? Pinkie Pie left a note, telling us that the party was moved to Ponyville after all. I don't know about you, but I don't want to miss it."

"How about it, Tia?" Luna smiled. "Want to mingle with the commoners together and have fun at a party?"

Celestia was hesitant. "It would be nice… the only celebrations we've been to together were Cadance's wedding and Twilight's coronation. But is this all right? The castle will be left unattended."

"I've taken every necessary precaution. Night Glide was informed, she will take care of everything while we're gone," Luna said.

"Well, I'm sure she's a trusty servant, but do you think she will be fine on her own?"

"Don't you worry, auntie," Cadance said. "I've assigned Flash Sentry to assist her. Among the two of them, the castle should be in capable hooves."

"Then let's not hesitate, or the party will be over before we get there," Luna smirked.

Together, the three alicorns got ready to fly down to Ponyville. No chariot, no guards accompanying them. Usually, that would be a breach of protocol. But this party was a casual get-together, as Cadance said. There really was no need to make it a formality.

But as they flew over Canterlot, they noticed a lone pony sitting on a high bridge, looking down at the city and the country beneath it. Her appearance was distinctive, since she was the only member of her race in Equestria for a long time.

"It's Nabooru," Cadance said in surprise. "One of the sages, right? I thought they were all already in Ponyville, at the party. What is she doing here?"

"She must still be feeling uncertain because of everything that happened," Celestia said. "Let's give her some time alone. There's a lot she has to think about."

"You two go on ahead," Luna said. "There's something I need to ask her."

Nabooru was watching the three alicorns flying overhead, to the party. She had considered going there as well… after all, she did get an invitation from Pinkie Pie. But she wasn't really in the mood for a party. When she saw that Princess Luna was approaching her, she hastily bowed down in front of her.

"No need to do that every time we meet," Luna smiled. "But I am honored you still act towards me as a subject."

"What else could I do?" Nabooru asked. "Pony or no pony, we've always revered the goddess of the moon. And no matter if my people decide to come back to Equestria or to stay in Hyrule, I will make sure that having met you in person will always be remembered as an important event in the history of the Gerudo."

"Regarding that… have you made a decision yet, Nabooru?"

"I leave the decision in the hands of my people…"

Luna waved her hoof. "Not about them. What about you? Where will you stay after all of this is over?"

"I… I'm not sure," Nabooru said. "I guess I kept telling me that I'll do whatever the majority of my people do. If this was just about me, I really don't know what to do."

"Do your duties as a sage keep you bound to Hyrule?" Luna asked.

"I don't think so. At least I never heard that a sage's powers only work in the country she is representing. Otherwise, I wouldn't still be wearing this form, right?"

"And even if you have to go back to Hyrule for important events, Celestia has already decided that the borders will be kept open. So you will be able to go back and forth every time."

"I guess that would be a good idea," Nabooru said. "Travelling back and forth between world, acting as an emissary between this world and those of my people who decide to stay behind. It would only be fitting, I am the first of my tribe who saw Equestria with her own eyes in a long time."

"About that… there's something I wanted to tell you. Something that Twilight Sparkle informed us about. Apparently, when they went to rescue the Hero of Time and the Element of Generosity, they ran into two ponies that have memories from residents of your world. Gerudos, to be precise."

Nabooru's eyes went wide. "Gerudos? But how is this possible?"

"We believe they might be Gerudos that died, but were reborn as ponies," Luna explained. "Their Equestrian names are Aloe and Lotus Blossom. They run the spa in Ponyville. But they also mentioned their old names: Koume and Kotake. Do these names mean anything to you?"

She was surprised when the expression on Nabooru's face turned from confusion to anger and hatred. "Those two…" she grumbled. "Oh yes, I know them too well. I thought something was familiar about them when I ran into them in Ponyville. Two twins, glowing headbands… I should have recognized them as soon as I saw them. How foolish of me…"

"Nabooru? Is there anything we should know about them?" Luna asked. "Anything that needs to be done?"

"No, princess," Nabooru shook her head. "That is something I need to deal with on my own."

"But there is no need to do this on your own," Luna protested. "You are in Equestria, kingdom of friendship…"

"I seriously doubt my friends would want to join me on a mission of… revenge," Nabooru growled as she leapt down from the bridge onto a cliff, from there into the top of a tree and then down into town. Soon enough, she was out of sight.

Luna could have easily gone after her, but she decided against it. "She requested to do take this matter in her own hooves," she muttered to herself. "And while I don't condone acts of revenge, I will respect that. However, I will keep a close eye on her to make sure she does nothing she'll regret…"

* * *

"Hey there, we haven't met before. Dunno if you missed it before, but I'm Cheese Sandwich, certified party planner," the yellow stallion grinned.

"Yes, I heard," Link muttered. This pony was nearly as energetic and crazy as Pinkie Pie, or maybe even as much as she is. He didn't know if he was supposed to feel scared about this. "So… you planned this party?"

"Well, together with Pinkie Pie, of course," Cheese said. "I didn't even plan on coming back to Ponyville so soon, but my cheesy sense told me coming here would be worth the trip. And boy, was it! I mean, you don't get the chance every day to throw a party for visitors from another world. So, Pinkie told me about you. You're not really a pony?"

"No, she's right, that's not my true form," Link nodded. "In reality, I am…"

"Wait wait wait! Don't tell me yet, lemme guess… you have two heads and breathe fire?"

"Oh, oh! Let me guess!" Pinkie shouted excitedly as she jumped next to him. "Are you covered in scales and have one hundred eyes?"

Twilight facehooved. "Pinkie, he is not a chimera or a dragon. He actually looks pretty normal."

"Normal? You call a pink, furless biped normal?" Rainbow frowned.

"You're right, that isn't normal," Lyra agreed. Then she squealed. "It's AWESOME!"

"Lyra, ponies are starting to stare again…" Bon Bon muttered.

Link chuckled. In his opinion, half of the inhabitants of this town really were crazy. But that didn't matter to him. If this was crazy, then it was a sort of crazy that should be seen in Hyrule more often. Most people there were pretty dull and forgettable. In all those years he did favors to the inhabitants of Hyrule, he barely ever got to know their names. At least in Termina he had a chance to get to know the people.

He was interrupted mid-thought when a tipsy fish-pony tumbled against him. "Wheee, this party is great, eh, Link?" She giggled. "C'moooon, fairy-boy, dance with me!"

Link took a good sniff. "Ruto… are you drunk?"

"Nooooo, I'm not! Just had a lil… a little drink from that nice mare over there." She pointed a hoof.

"Helloooooo!" shouted Berry Punch, before guzzling down the contents of a bottle she was holding.

And then, Pinkie Pie made the most terrifying face Link had ever seen in his life. Well… at least from a pony. "BERRY!" she shouted. "You promised me you wouldn't bring any alcohol to this party!"

"Aaaaah, it's just one tiny bottle," the drunk pony giggled. "One little sip can't hurt…"

"But you promised me…" Pinkie fumed. "YOU PINKIE-PROMISED!"

"Eep!" Berry squeaked. She wasn't drunk enough not to realize she was in trouble when the angry pink berserker came charging at her. "I'm sorryyyyyyy!" she wailed as she was chased through the room.

"C'mon, Linky…" Ruto tugged at his ear with her mouth. "How bout that dance? On second thought, forget about the dance. Why don't you and I find a little hidden spot and…"

That's when I decided enough was enough.

"Okay, that's enough from you…" I grumbled, grabbed the Zora's tail and pulled her away from Link. "Go take a dip in the lake and sober up!" I commanded.

"Awww, you're no fun…" Ruto muttered as she slunk off through the door.

"Great party, huh?" Applejack chuckled. "How are y'all two enjoying yerselves so far?"

"Can't complain," I said. "Apart from Miss booze-fins over there, I'm having a blast."

"Me too," Link nodded. "Though have you seen Nabooru or Rauru anywhere? I thought all the sages were here."

"Rauru had to excuse himself," Zelda said. "He was so excited about his research that he wanted to bring some of Canterlot's books over to his own library and continue his research from there. And Nabooru… well, she looked like she had something to figure out on her own."

"Too bad for them," Rainbow smirked. "They are missing out on some great fun. Hey, stoic face! Why so serious all the time? Have some cake, bob for some apples, try to dance!"

"I cannot," Impa said. "I am here to guard the princess only. Focusing on my duties is difficult as it is amidst all this chaos."

"Hey, even assistants get to have some fun," Spike said and gave her a nudge. "You really need to lighten up, Impa. It's a party!"

Suddenly, Twilight laughed out so loud that I looked at her in confusion. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing," Twilight giggled. "It's just… Spike said that exact same thing to me the first time I was in Ponyville. I wasn't exactly the most social pony back then. And look at me now… I'm not missing one of Pinkie Pie's parties."

"See, even bookworms can have fun with this," Rainbow said. "Just get over here and try to dance, you might enjoy yourself." And she pushed the reluctant Sheikah over to the dance floor.

"But I… don't wanna…" Impa protested weakly. I couldn't help but chuckle. Impa obviously needed some help to unwind, and Rainbow looked like the perfect pony for the job.

Just then, the doors were thrown open and the pinkest alicorn I've ever seen entered Sugarcube Corner.

"Make room on the dance floor!" she shouted. "The princess of love has arrived!"

"Another princess?" I frowned. "Who's that?"

"That's Cadance, my sister-in-law and former foalsitter," Twilight explained. "Cadance, over here!"

"Twilight!" Cadance shouted with excitement. Together, they did a little weird dance. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

"Gimme a break…" I muttered.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the spa…

Longingly, Aloe looked through the window, to the bright and colorful Sugarcube Corner. Even from here, she could hear the party going on inside. "I wish we could be there," she muttered. "I wish we could have welcomed them as residents of Ponyville alongside the others. Still, we are on house arrest. This stinks! Siding with Demise was the worst decision we've ever made."

"Are you starting with that again?" Lotus groaned. "We can't change what happened, we made our decision and have to live with the consequences. Besides, their lousy party doesn't sound that fun anyways… way too loud… would take hours to clean the confetti out of our manes…"

"You're just saying that to make up excuses," Aloe said. "I know you, you would have loved being there as well. You told me a couple of months ago just how much you loved Pinkie's parties."

Lotus grumbled. She didn't like it when her sister could read her like an open book. "Doesn't change anything about our situation right now. We aren't like them, we don't deserve to be there. We don't even deserve talking to them anymore."

"Does that include family, too?" someone who just entered the room asked.

The twins looked at the pony who came in in surprise. The mare looked like she could be a third sister of the pair, even a triplet. "Vera!" Aloe shouted happily. "Since when are you here?" She ran to welcome her cousin with a nuzzle.

"I arrived just a couple of minutes ago," Vera said. "Thought it was about time to pay my two favorite cousins a visit. Imagine my surprise when I heard that they were taken into house arrest by a couple of royal guards."

"How did they let you in, anyway?" Lotus asked.

"That was easy as soon as I mentioned I was family." She shook her head with a disapproving smirk. "Whatever were you two up to now?"

"It's… a long story," Lotus muttered. "One we definitely shouldn't involve you with. That means no telling her about anything that happened, Aloe!" she shouted.

"B-but sis…" Aloe stammered. "She is the only relative we have… she's almost like a sister to us. If there's anypony we can entrust this with, it's her."

"And what do you suppose she'll do?" Lotus asked. "Be confused, even afraid? Maybe she'll run away in fright and never come back!"

"Or maybe she won't mind because she has a similar secret of her own," Vera said.

The twins stared at her. "S-secret?" Aloe stuttered.

"Just like ours?" Lotus gasped.

Vera smirked. "Caught you by surprise, didn't I? Lemme guess, you two are reincarnated servants of a powerful warlord and sorcerer from another world, right?"

"How could you know that?" Lotus asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm a former servant of the great Ganondorf myself," Vera chuckled. "But let's keep quiet about this. We don't want anypony to find out about this, do we? So unfortunate they already learned about you."

"It's… it's true," Lotus admitted. "We are the reborn twin witches, Twinrova. Servants of Ganondorf."

"I knew it," Vera smirked. "It could have been only Twinrova. Not too surprising after I found out about my true self."

"But who are you exactly?" Aloe wondered.

"Let's discuss this later," Vera said. "For now, we should try and find a way to turn this situation around, into something way more favorable."

"What do you mean?" Lotus frowned.

"You said it yourself before I came in, didn't you? We are not the ponies we used to be. We don't belong here. Instead, we should try and find our true destiny somewhere else."

"If you're suggesting we should team up with Ghirahim again…" Lotus said.

"No way!" Aloe shouted. "I'm done with this creep! Once and for all!"

"Don't worry, I'm not talking about him," Vera said. "Instead, why don't we go back to where we are destined to be: Hyrule?"

"What are you suggesting?" Lotus asked. "Even if we weren't cooped up in here, the dimensional border is closed. We can't go back to Hyrule!"

"What if I told you we can?" Vera asked. "Trust me, I know a way. All you have to do is leave this pitiful life behind and follow me into a better future."

"Do you know what you're saying?" Aloe said quietly. "You're asking us to leave all of our old lives behind. All of our friends in Ponyville, our work, our clients."

"You were willing to leave it behind before, weren't you?" Vera asked. "Also, you're not alone in this anymore. You have each other, and you have me. And I'm not letting this chance slip by. Come on… let's go back to Hyrule. To the lives we were meant to live!"

"Well… it sounds tempting," Lotus muttered. "All we've seen so far from our former lives were glimpses and flashes in our dreams and visions. I'd like to see it all in person…"

"And leave Ponyville?" Aloe asked. "Princess Twilight and the others have given us this new chance… should we throw it away like that?"

"It's not like we're harming them in any way," Lotus said. "We'll go to Hyrule and be out of their way. Also, we can just take a look how it's like over there. If we don't like it, we can always return and no harm will be done. Right?"

"Right, it's very easy," Vera smiled. "What do you say, Aloe?"

"Well…" Aloe said hesitantly. "If we don't hurt anypony, then I don't see any reason not to at least take a look…"

"Great!" Vera said. "Then let's go already."

"But how do we leave? In case you haven't noticed, our house is guarded around the clock," Lotus said.

"Oh, they won't be a problem. Don't you girls remember how we used to sneak out through the back window when we were young?" Vera grinned.

"That's kind of deceiving," Aloe said. "And we'll be in trouble if we decide to come back."

"Ah, it's okay. You're not doing anything bad. As long as you come back, I'm sure the princess will understand."

"Well, okay," Aloe then nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

Nabooru quietly and nimbly made her way from Canterlot to Ponyville… the Gerudo way, making sure she wasn't seen. Instead of paying for a ticket at the station, she leapt up on top of a train cart and easily made it to Ponyville like this. She then snuck around the houses, staying away from bright places, especially the bright and loud Sugarcube Corner. Finally, she reached the Ponyville day spa. Like any good thief, she approached the building from behind. And that was the reason why she was able to witness with her own eyes how the three ponies climbed out of one of the back windows.

At first, she was confused. Why were there three of them? These couldn't possibly be the right ponies. She was about to leave, when she heard one of them whisper to the other: "Hurry up, Aloe. We don't want them to catch us."

"I'm coming, Lotus," the other one muttered. "It's just… it still feels wrong."

"Be quiet, or the guards will hear us after all," the third one whispered.

That settled it. Aloe and Lotus, the two names Princess Luna mentioned. But who was the third pony? It didn't matter to Nabooru, she would still confront them. Their behavior, however, puzzled her. What were they doing? Nabooru knew she could easily call for the guards, but that was not her style. So instead, she decided to follow them. She ducked back behind a bush and followed them after they ran past her. She didn't know it yet, but the direction they were taking would lead them to the Everfree Forest.

* * *

I was about to give off a snappy remark about the two princesses behavior, when I saw the majestically spread wings of white appearing behind them. Gasps and murmurs spread among the crowd, and most of them bowed down immediately. So did I, since this was the one alicorn I recognized and remembered: Princess Celestia, sovereign ruler of Equestria.

"Please rise, my little ponies," Celestia said with that warm, gentle voice of hers. "We are here on unofficial business. Is that not right, sister?"

"My sister is speaking the truth, good citizens," spoke an alicorn as dark and mysterious as the night. "Let us join together in fun, as we did when I first visited you on Nightmare Night."

So this was her… the alicorn I only knew in stories as the mare in the moon, Nightmare Moon. But according to my daughter and her friends, they neutralized the evil within her and turned her back into what she used to be: Celestia's younger sister, Princess Luna. I felt a bit unnerved to be in the presence of two such imposing figures. With Twilight and Princess Cadance, I could easily imagine that they were anything but princesses, the way they acted towards each other and their friends. But these two, they were timeless.

Princess Celestia came walking through the crowd and came to a stop in front of me and Link. "So you are the Hero of Time," she said with a smile. "I've heard many great things about you. I am pleased to finally see you with my own two eyes. Even though you've already spent a considerable amount of time in my kingdom, let me welcome you officially to Equestria, brave hero."

She bowed her head in front of Link, which was an immense honor. But what did the green-capped, pointy-eared fool do? He did nothing but stare blankly and then, like a fool, utter: "Ummm… and you are?"

"Idiot!" I hissed. "Bow! You are in the presence of Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria!"

"Relax," Celestia said. "It's not like he had any idea. Indeed, what princess would abandon her royal duties to attend a party in Ponyville?" She shared a look with her sister and they both chuckled. "Also, he is not from this world, so we really can't blame him for not recognizing me. Unlike you… you are Epona Apple, right? Proud owner of Sweet Apple Acres and mother of the brave bearer of the Element of Honesty, Applejack?"

"T-too much of an honor, Your Highness!" I stuttered. "After I've been gone for such a long time, Sweet Apple Acres rightfully belongs to Granny Smith and my children. But you are correct, Applejack is my daughter. And I couldn't be prouder." I took a side glance at my daughter, who gave me the warmest smile.

"You should be proud. Your daughter and her friend accomplished a number of great things," Celestia said. I could see how Applejack and her friends were blushing or bashfully looking at the ground after the praise. "But so did you and brave Link, didn't you? I heard about you as well. Even though a spell was put on you, you served him as a loyal companion and friend."

"Please, stop it," I muttered. It didn't feel right at all, to be praised by such a powerful and ancient being such as the princess. "I just wanted to help, that's all."

"A commendable attitude," Princess Luna said. "And humble. Some ponies would be carried away with pride and arrogance, were they in your position. Just imagine what our nephew would do…"

Celestia laughed a bit at that. "I actually believe that being raised on a farm would drastically improve Blueblood's behavior towards lower class ponies," she said. That made Applejack and her friends laugh at well, as if they were all enjoying a private joke together.

"All right, everypony!" Princess Cadance then shouted. "Back to partying!"

Relieved that their princesses found nothing wrong with a little enjoyment, the ponies of Ponyville kept on with their dancing, laughing and playing.

I then thought of something. "Princess Luna!" I said and bowed in front of the night regent. "If I may ask a question…"

"Of course, Mrs. Apple. What is it you wish to ask?" she said.

I took a deep breath. "When I was found in Hyrule, at Lon Lon Ranch… I was wrapped up in a blanket. Nobody could say where it came from, but… it has your emblem stitched on it. A symbol I always believed to be the symbol of the mare in the moon."

"Of course you would," Luna muttered. "Back before you were brought to Hyrule, I was still imprisoned within the moon. Most ponies back then only heard of me from legends and didn't even knew Celestia had a sister. Do you have this blanket with you? I would like to take a look at it."

I nodded. "Of course." I took the blanket and showed it to her.

Luna took a good look at it and then frowned. "This is most certainly the sigil of the night. But I don't know where this blanket is from, or how it could have appeared in Hyrule, alongside you. Remember, when all of this happened, I was still sealed in the moon. I'm afraid I cannot help you."

"I thought so," I sighed. "But thanks anyway."

"Do not fret. I'm sure that one day, the mystery will be solved," Luna smiled. I nodded, gratefully. Yes, this was nothing like the evil menace the old storybooks told us about. This was a mare that was interested in only the well-being of her subjects.

Meanwhile, Princess Celestia was greeting Princess Zelda. "Good to see you again," Celestia said. "I hope you are enjoying yourself."

"Oh, this is wonderful. I've never had parties quite like this back at home," Zelda laughed. "They are all, to be honest, quite boring. But this is… invigorating! I can't wait to attend more celebrations like this."

"Well, then you will be happy to hear that we decided to strengthen the bonds between Hyrule and Equestria by keeping the borders open," Celestia said. "Residents of Hyrule will be welcomed with open hooves."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Zelda gushed. "I need to tell my father as soon as possible. Oh, I'm so excited… I wish I could have told Rauru before he left, but maybe I can send a letter after him… somehow."

"We've noticed a couple of your sages are missing," Luna said. "We already saw Nabooru on our way to Ponyville. I talked to her a bit, but she seemed pretty concerned after learning that the two twins from the spa are actually residents of your world reincarnated."

"You told her about that?" Link asked. "Oh boy, of course she'd be mad. But I guess it was just a matter of time before she learned about it."

"Yes, she seemed pretty upset," Luna nodded. "As soon as we ended our talk, she left in a hurry."

"I have a bad feeling about this, Epona," Link muttered. "I know Nabooru, I know she holds a deep grudge towards the two old hags. They were the ones that brainwashed her into a mindless servant of Ganondorf."

"B-but they aren't who they used to be anymore… right?" Fluttershy spoke up, deep concern in her voice. "I know they have their memories and all, but they can't be all bad. I know them. Rarity and I have been at their spa countless times."

"Fluttershy, sweetness…" Rarity said. "You didn't see how they acted when they imprisoned me. I hate to say it, but something within them… has changed."

"Still, I think we need to give them a chance," Twilight said. "After all, they stepped up against that demon stallion in the desert ruins."

"I still have the feeling this might end in trouble," Link said. "Especially if Nabooru decides to go after them. Sorry, guys. This has been a great party, but I need to check something real quick." And he ran outside.

"I bet he's going to check up on Aloe and Lotus to make sure nothing bad happens," Rainbow said. "I'm going after him." She truly was a pony of action.

"Mom, I think we should go, too," Applejack said. "Link was right, I have a bad feeling in my tummy, and I'm sure it wasn't just the cupcakes I just ate."

"You are right, honey," I nodded. "I have the same feeling as him. Maybe it's the adventurer gene within us."

"Then we should all go," Twilight said. "The more, the better."

"Um, I think I'll make sure Ruto gets home safe," Fluttershy said. From outside, we could still hear the retching noises of the sea pony. "Go on ahead without me, girls."

I nodded and we ran after Rainbow and Link. "Heeeyyyy!" Pinkie shouted as she ran after us. "Where are you going? The party's not over yet!"

* * *

"I hate this forest!" Tatl grumbled. She was sitting on a branch, high up above the forest ground. If she was safe here, she didn't know. "I hate this place and everything in it! Oh, sure, the Lost Woods are supposed to be scary? Ha! We have dangerous wolves there and dangerous plants that want to eat you? Try this forest out, they have PLANT WOLVES here that want to eat you! And you think cuccos are dangerous? Here they have SNAKE CUCCOS that can turn you into STONE! Screw this place, screw it!"

She angrily pounded her little fists against the wood she was sitting on. "Sure, I'm supposed to wait here in case the princess and the sages come back and want to go back to Hyrule. Why here, of all places? Why couldn't I have waited in a flower garden? Or at the beach? Noooo, it had to be the freakin' Everfree Forest! Screw this!"

The angry little fairy was so upset that she didn't notice how three ponies went by, right underneath the tree she was sitting in. She also didn't notice the fourth pony that appeared shortly after the other ones. That is, until that pony kicked against the trunk of her tree. "Hey! You up there, fairy! Have you seen three ponies running past?"

"What the…? Hey, it's you!" Tatl shouted as she looked down. "That Gerudo sage, right?"

"Never mind that, just answer the question!" Nabooru hissed. "I'm after three ponies, but I lost their trail here in the forest. So have you seen them or not?"

"I didn't see anyone. Not since that fat guy asked me to bring him back to Hyrule with all the books he was carrying," Tatl said. "Does he have any idea how tiring it is for a little fairy like me to open up a portal? I'm not going to close that portal until all of this is over and I'm back home, safe and sound."

"You left the portal open?" Nabooru gasped. "Are you nuts? Do you have any idea what you've done? Now all sorts of creatures can cross back and forth through the fairy realm!"

"Oh… oh, I guess that's right…" Tatl muttered. "I didn't think of that. But, honestly. How big are the chances of that happening?"

Just then, a strange little man dressed in green attire came skipping past them. "Oooooh, what a wonderful place Tingle has found!" he cheerfully shouted. "After so long, Tingle has finally found the passageway into the world of fairies… now Tingle can become a fairy himself! Huzzah!" And the strange man pranced away.

Nabooru and Tatl both looked after him for a moment, clearly baffled. But then Nabooru gritted her teeth. "See? See? That's what I was talking about! This was a Hylian… in Equestria! You silly sprite, you close that portal right now! No, wait a minute… I think I have a good idea on where the three of them might have gone. Listen, fairy! I'm going through the portal, and THEN you close it! Got it?"

"All right, all right! Sheesh!" Tatl said. "No need to get angry, I got it."

"Hopefully…" Nabooru grumbled. Then she ran off.

* * *

While her friends were running back to the spa, Fluttershy was helping a wasted Zora back to her cottage. Ruto was sleeping while she lay on Fluttershy's back, her fins a tangled mess.

"Oh dear…" Fluttershy muttered. "Next time, you shouldn't drink something your body disagrees with."

They reached the cottage, and Fluttershy carefully placed Ruto in the shallow water of her pond. "You told me how important water is for your people, so maybe it will help you," she quietly said. "But I think I have a waterproof blanket somewhere inside that might be comfortable. Wait just a minute…"

The only reply she got was loud snoring.

Fluttershy went inside. "I'm really no good after all," she muttered to herself. "While my friends are already back in action, probably even going back on an exciting adventure, I'm too scared to come along. Instead, I stay at home where it's safe, just so I don't have to face anything horrifying, like those… skeletons back there." She shivered. "Oh Fluttershy… you really are a scaredy pony."

She opened her cupboard, looking for the blanket. That's when she noticed something unusual. Everything was quiet. Normally, she was welcomed back home by at least some of her friends. At least Angel was usually there to demand his dinner. "That's strange," she muttered. "Where could they all be?"

She turned her head… and gasped as she saw Angel lying in his basket, his little legs tied up and his mouth filled with a gag. "Oh no!" Fluttershy said. "Angel! Who could have done something like that to you? You poor, poor thing…"

Somepony snickered behind her back. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about the vermin if I were you, little winged horse. I would worry about yourself."

Fluttershy looked back. Her eyes widened when she saw the demon unicorn standing there.

Ghirahim smirked as he slowly approached her. "That little pest was really annoying. He wouldn't stop jumping around and chattering like crazy. I did the world a big favor by shutting him up. Actually, I was contemplating ending his pathetic little life. But honestly, such a lowly life form us hardly worth my time. You, on the other hand, are much more valuable to me."

"Wh-what do you m-mean?" Fluttershy squeaked with fear.

The demon lord laughed. "You are an element bearer. And the sages of Equestria are apparently someone important to them. And to get my hands on the sages, I need something to lure them out into the open. Just like I did with that winged horse in the desert. I could have gone after each of your friends, but why should I make my life unnecessarily difficult? Going after the weakest link is always the easiest route to take. Now hold still, little horse… this won't hurt a bit…"

As he came even closer to the frightened pegasus, his eyes started gleaming a demonic red.


	28. Return of the Flutterbat

Ruto awoke to Fluttershy's scream, coming out of her cottage. That and the fresh, cool water on her skin were enough to pull her out of her drunken stupor. "Wh-what?" she muttered. "Fluttershy? What's happening?" She cringed as she got up to her feet. "Dang, my head hurts…"

She forced herself to stand up straight and run towards the door as quickly as she could. The inside of the shack was dimly lit, and the back half of the room was shrouded in shadows. "Fluttershy? Are you all right? What happened?"

"R-ruto…" A shape was moving in the darkness. "D-don't come any closer… run away…"

"Fluttershy?" Confused, Ruto took a step closer. She saw the pegasus' body, but it was twitching and shifting in a strange way. "What's happening to you?"

"Oh, this is quite interesting, actually," someone chuckled. Ruto spun around to see the demon unicorn resting in one of Fluttershy's chairs, watching the spectacle. "I come here, hoping to easily capture one of the six element bearers, when I sense something peculiar in that winged horse's blood." Ghirahim sneered. "Can you guess what it is? No, of course you can't, little Zora. It is bat blood, mixed with just a hint of magic. Now, the bats here in Equestria are usually quite pathetic. Even the scary vampire fruit bats, while commonly seen as pests, eat nothing but fruit. Unlike the Keese from Hyrule, who attack every living creature in sight, trying to suck their blood. Then I thought to myself: If the magic of this world did this to the little horse, then imagine what might happen if I influence it with my own, far more greater magic? So, with just a bit of demonic influence, I twisted the bit of bat blood within her around, turning it into Keese blood. It will be most entertaining to see the results…"

"You… you did this to her!" Ruto shouted. "You'll pay for this!"

But as she ran at him, Ghirahim's horn lit up and created a magical barrier between Ruto and the back of the room, where Ghirahim and Fluttershy were. "No interrupting," he said with a frown. "Must you mortals always be so rude? Now, where was I? Ah, yes. I was about to witness the corruption of this innocent creature to her darker side. It's always a delight to witness something so devilishly wonderful."

Fluttershy let out another scream as her body distorted and shifted. Her beautiful, feathered wings turned into the leathery wings of a bat, her ears changed shape to become large, pointy and furry. A set of sharp fangs pushed themselves out of her cute muzzle. And her eyes changed color, turning from a light blue to a bloody red. And finally, her sweet, melodic voice turned into the shrill hiss of a bat.

"Marvelous!" Ghirahim smiled. "If I had hands right now, I would clap at this masterpiece. I could have just tortured the horse and take her away to lure in her friends and the sages, but that would be quite boring, actually. Let's see how her friends will react when they face her like this. Won't they be surprised?"

"Surprise!"

Ghirahim turned his head, only be hit in the face with a big wave of water that came splashing in through the open window and over his magical barrier. Ruto was riding the waves on top, her whole body surrounded by a cerulean blue aura. She watched with satisfaction as the stream pushed Ghirahim back into the wall. He could not even scream as his mouth was full of water.

"Being the Sage of Water sure comes in handy sometimes," Ruto said. "And you, you belong to the idiotic type of villains, don't you? Always monologuing on and on and never considering anything a threat… at least Ganondorf was always straight to the point."

An explosion of power pushed the water apart. Ghirahim glared at the Zora furiously and spat out the water. "SILENCE! You'll pay for this insolence, mortal! I shall not be…" But then, another wave overwhelmed him and surrounded him in a bubble of water that floated slightly above the ground. He tried getting out, but the waves kept pushing him back inside. After a while, he began struggling and flailing around, his eyes wide open.

"So demons actually do need air to breathe," Ruto smirked. "That's good to know. Tell me, why should I let you out after everything you've done?"

But then, a loud hiss caught her attention. Out of the darkness, Fluttershy the bat pony came lunging, her mouth wide open, fangs aimed at Ruto's neck. The Zora princess gasped in surprise and raised one of her forelegs in front of her face. And while that stopped Fluttershy from biting her neck, it didn't stop the brute force of her assault. Ruto was knocked down to the ground, pinned down by a feral Flutterbat.

As her concentration was broken, the water bubble around Ghirahim dissipated and he could finally gasp for fresh air. While he was taking deep breaths, he grinned at the troubled Zora. "Now who's trapped? That's good, my little minion, keep her down. I wasn't going to go after the sages of Hyrule, but if you come after me so willingly, who am I to say no? But I'm not going to take you alive, oh no. Not after last time's debacle…" His horn started to gleam. "Hold her still, my monstrous pet…"

But suddenly, something else came flying in through the window. Ghirahim had the brief impression of fur and feathers, and then he was knocked back for the second time that evening.

"Get your filthy hooves off my friends!" Gilda roared as she stood tall above the fallen demon pony, baring her claws.

"G-gilda…" Ruto gasped. "H-help…"

Gilda turned around and saw to her surprise how Fluttershy was, once again, trying to sink her teeth into Ruto's neck. And this time, she was coming dangerously close. "What the heck, dude?" the griffon shouted in surprise as she leapt over to them and pulled the struggling bat pony off the Zora with one strong yank. "What's gotten into you, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy responded with an angry hiss and a bite in Gilda's direction. Gilda was so shocked that she let go of her, and Fluttershy flew up into the air.

"Be careful," Ruto said. "He somehow changed her… turned her into this. Don't hurt her, she doesn't know what she's doing."

"Easier said than done, fish sticks," Gilda grunted as she avoided a swoop of the bat pony. "Man, who knew little Flutters could be so vicious?"

Ghirahim grunted as he got back up to his feet again. "I'm really getting fed up with you mortals… I'll let my loyal minion kill you slowly, suck out your blood and then restore her consciousness, just enough for her to witness your death. And then… I'll turn her back into a bloodthirsty monster so she can kill some more. And every single time, she'll know exactly that it was her who did it."

"What the HECK?" Gilda screamed. "That's sick! You stay away from her, creep, or I'll swear I'll rip you a new… oof!" She grunted as she was pummeled in the face by one of Flutterbat's hooves. "Dangit, girl, that was one mean swing! All right, Flutters, you asked for it… enough is enough!"

"No, stop!" Ruto shouted as Gilda leapt at Fluttershy with a roar. The two combatants were rolling around on the floor, clawing, kicking and biting at each other.

"It's so entertaining, isn't it?" Ghirahim laughed. "Either she kills her friend or will be killed by her. I should have done something like this eons ago, would have spared me… gargle!" He sputtered when Ruto sent another stream of water in his direction.

"Oh, shut up," she grumbled.

Gilda was lying on her back, Fluttershy pinning her down in a situation similar to the one Ruto was in earlier. "You know… Flutters… you're not making this easy for me, girl. Settle down quietly or I'll… I'll have to take you down."

Fluttershy's only answer was a hiss as she bared her fangs again. Gilda clenched her beak.

"Dangit, Fluttershy!" she shouted as she gathered all her strength and pushed the bat pony on her own back. "Stop doing this to me! I can't do this… think of what Dash would say. She would never forgive… forgive a dummy griffon who would hurt her friends… you taught me so much in your group… I started trusting you, trusting the others… I started realizing what friendship really meant." The griffon looked down at the struggling bat pony pleadingly. "Please, Fluttershy… I don't want to hurt you anymore."

And suddenly, something appeared on Gilda's flank. Something pretty unusual, since griffons normally don't even get cutie marks. It was the Element of Kindness.

'Her?' Ghirahim thought to himself where he was lying, soggy and confused. 'That brutish beast is a sage?' But then he started snickering. 'I knew my plan would work… the element bearer was in danger and the sage came running. And now she's mine…'

As for Fluttershy, for a short moment it looked like Gilda's words were actually coming through to her.

Then she sunk her teeth in the griffon's leg.

Gilda cried out in pain, and the Flutterbat used that to her advantage. She kicked the griffon off her and flew back up.

"Gilda!" Ruto shouted as she jumped to aid her friend. But then a glowing circle of demon magic appeared around her neck. She gasped for air as the circle started choking her.

"Let's see how you like being suffocated, Zora!" Ghirahim snickered. "Minion! Take out the griffon, but don't kill her yet. I still need her power. As for you, Zora, you will die…"

'This is it… I've failed…' Ruto thought to herself. 'I'm sorry, Fluttershy and Gilda. And I'm sorry, Princess Zelda… and Link. I guess I'm no good as a sage after all…'

A radiant aura of light then filled the entire shack, blinding both Ghirahim and the bat pony and making every bit of demonic energy disappear, including the barrier and the circle around Ruto's neck.

After his eyes started getting used to the sudden brightness, Ghirahim looked up. And for one of the very few instances in his life, he got scared.

Hovering above them was Celestia, her eyes blazing suns of fury as she stared down at him with divine righteousness.

"YOU SHALL NOT HARM OUR SUBJECTS, DEMON!" she thundered.

Realizing that he could in no way win a battle with the sun goddess of Equestria, Ghirahim decided that sometimes, victories would have to be taken one step at a time.

"You win for now," he said. "I'll come back for the sages another time… for now, I'll take my minion." And before anyone could react, he teleported himself and the Flutterbat away to safety, who knows where.

Ruto let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you… Your Highness…"

"I'm afraid he managed to get away," Celestia said as she lowered herself down to the floor. "And he took poor Fluttershy with him."

"Argh, if only I had been a bit stronger… or faster… or anything!" Gilda shouted as she pounded the ground in frustration.

"I'm… sure you did your best, G!"

Gilda looked towards the door. There, standing behind Celestia were Luna, Epona, Link, Zelda and the remaining element bearers. Including her old friend, Rainbow Dash. She gulped. She wasn't prepared for that reunion yet. "Uh… hey there, Dash…"

Rainbow looked at her old friend uncertainly. "Um… so… you finally got your cutie mark, huh? Congrats, I guess."

Gilda clenched her beak. "Dangit, Dash…"

* * *

"So this was the demon you encountered in the desert?" Luna asked Link.

He nodded, a grim expression on his face. "That's him. Ghirahim, he calls himself I think. I know I should have taken care of him back then."

"Calm down there, Link," I said. "There was nothing you could have done. You were too injured at the time."

"And this foe is not to be underestimated," Celestia said. "The powers I felt within him are extraordinary. He fled my presence, but I believe he would be dangerous to confront for anypony who is not an alicorn."

"Still, there's something that must be done," Zelda said. "That poor pony needs our aid. I give you any help Hyrule can offer."

"I'll help, too," Link nodded. "He took me by surprise the first time, but I've defeated bigger threats before."

"But that's when you still had the Master Sword, remember?" I said.

"Epona is right," Zelda agreed. "It carries the name 'Blade of Evil's Bane' for a reason. If you want to confront Ghirahim and his master, you need the Master Sword."

"That means I've got to go back to Hyrule, great," Link grumbled. "And Din knows whatever he's doing to poor Fluttershy in the meantime."

"Don't worry about that. We're still here, remember?" Twilight said. "We'll figure something out to save her. We need to come up with a plan…"

"A plan? Are you kidding me?" Gilda shouted as she jumped to her feet. "And in the meantime, do you think he's going to invite Flutters to a cup of tea? I heard what he said, he wants to make her kill other ponies! We need to act now!"

"We can't just attack him head-on," Dash said. "Twilight's right, we need a plan."

Gilda snorted. "Now that's rich, coming from you, Dash. Whatever happened to the brashest Junior Speedster I knew?"

Rainbow gritted her teeth. "She grew up, Gilda! Something that you obviously still need to do!"

"Don't you lecture me now!" the griffon roared as she confronted her old friend. "Do you have any idea how often I've visited Fluttershy ever since she offered me to join her group? Do you know how often I've thought of going to you and apologize, only to back off like a frightened chick? And do you know how often Fluttershy and the others from the group comforted me whenever that happened? Yes, it's a laugh, I know! Equestria's toughest griffon, reduced to a crybaby! But not anymore! If you're not willing to go after Fluttershy, I'll do it!"

"And do you know where to find her?" Celestia asked in her calm manner.

Gilda was taken aback by that question. "I… I dunno… but I can find out. I'll fly through all of Equestria until I find her."

"And that's exactly why we need a plan," Twilight explained. "If we just run around aimlessly without thinking, we'll never find her. We need to consider our options."

"But I can't just sit and wait," Gilda groaned. "I need to take action."

Ruto walked up to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Believe me, Gilda… I know what you're thinking. I'm angry at myself for not being able to stop that creep from taking Fluttershy away."

That took me by surprise. Ruto, the brash tomboy princess of the Zora tribe, being comforting and patient? How did that happen?

"How did you all managed to get here this quickly anyway?" Ruto asked. "Did you know this would happen?"

"Actually, no," Link said. "We were at the party, blissfully unaware. But then I heard that Nabooru was up to something at the spa and I wanted to investigate, the others just followed."

"However, just before we were about to leave, Princess Celestia told us she felt something," Twilight said.

Celestia nodded. "It must have been the demonic presence of Ghirahim. If I had been back at the castle at this moment, I probably wouldn't have felt it. And you both would have been taken by the enemy as well."

"So we all ran over here as fast as we could and came to the rescue," Applejack nodded.

"Rescue?" Gilda snorted. "You didn't rescue Fluttershy…"

That made me angry. "Hey, I don't know what your deal is, but you can be thankful that you're not dead right now."

"Better me than her…" Gilda muttered.

"Now, calm down," Celestia said. "Everything will be done to ensure her safety. Twilight, you and your friends will take care of this. I know you care deeply for her and that the matter will be in capable hooves this way."

"We won't let you down, princess," Twilight nodded. "Neither will we let Fluttershy down."

"Luna? I must ask you to inform Fluttershy's family about what happened. They will know what to do."

"Of course, sister," Luna nodded. She went outside, spread her wings and flew off.

"As for our honored guests… I am grateful for any help you offer us." Celestia gave Zelda a short bow.

"I will assemble the sages to figure out a solution of our own," Zelda said. "And Link, you will go back to Hyrule and gather the Master Sword. With it in our grasp, I think our chances against Ghirahim will rise tremendously."

"I'll go with him," I said immediately.

"Somehow, I knew you'd say that, Mom," Applejack smiled. "Take care of yerself, ya hear?"

"I won't be gone for too long, Applejack," I said. "But I just don't want Link to do this on his own."

"And what will you do, princess?" Twilight asked Celestia.

"Something I should have done some time ago. Say, Twilight, are you not wondering why the one that proclaimed himself to be Fluttershy's newest best friend is not present at all when she is threatened and kidnapped like this? Where is he, now that she needs his help the most?"

Twilight's eyes widened. "You mean… Discord?"

"Correct. I will confront him and ask for his assistance. His powers might just be what we need to end this conflict. It is time for him to prove his loyalty to Equestria."

And in a flash, she was gone.

Confused, I looked at the others. "Who's Discord?"

* * *

At the same time, Nabooru was already back in Hyrule. She was also back in the form she grew up with, her original form of a Gerudo.

'But is this really my original form?' she thought to herself. 'When the Gerudos started out as ponies?'

She tried not to think about it too much. She had more urgent matters to take care of. Tatl's portal had released her in Hyrule Field, not too far from Gerudo Valley.

"This must be where they're going," she told herself as she started walking back home. "They were Gerudos once, so this would only make sense. I will probably find them in Gerudo Fortress, either there or in their old hideout in the Spirit Temple. Either way, they will find that the Gerudo won't trust their words so easily anymore. As long as I'm around, I will protect my people and this world from any lie they might be spreading."

When she was almost at the bridge that spread across the valley, she ran into one of the other Gerudos. It was a girl she was not familiar with, wearing what looked like a red dancer's outfit. She definitely didn't look like a scout or warrior.

"Lady Nabooru!" she shouted. "There you are. The others have been wondering when you would return."

"We need to assemble the tribe," Nabooru said. "Every single member. Of every age."

"But why?" the girl asked. "Did something happen?"

"Two enemies of ours have come back to Hyrule, and maybe they are already in the valley. Tell me, have you seen a pair of old hags anywhere around the fortress? Wearing turbans, flying on broomsticks?"

"No, most definitely not," the girl said.

"Good, then we still have some time. I have to inform the others and…"

"But I saw three Gerudo warriors heading towards Castle Town earlier today," she said. "Young women, no hags. And they were wearing headbands, not turbans. I've been wondering what they were up to. There were no heists planned today."

Nabooru froze. Could that have been them? After all, they were reborn. It would make sense if they didn't take on their old, wrinkled crone bodies. They came to this world as young ponies."

"Show me where you saw them," she ordered the girl. "Quick!"

The other one nodded. "Right away, Lady Nabooru."

And as she ran at Nabooru's side, the dancer girl sent a quick telepathic message to her sister.

'I've done my part, Nayru. Nabooru is on her way to Hyrule Castle. It is up to you to welcome the Hero of Time when he returns to Hyrule.'

* * *

Back in Canterlot Castle, Luna went into the library.

"Night Glide?" she shouted. "Are you here?"

"Yes, Princess," the Nocturnal maid nodded as she fluttered down from a huge bookcase she was just dusting off. "Are you in need of my service?"

"No… I'm afraid I've come with bad news." The princess took a deep breath. "To my deepest regret, I must inform you that your daughter… has been taken by the enemy."

Night Glide's widened with shock. "No…" she whispered. "Not my darling Fluttershy…"

"While she is still alive, we currently have no clear idea what the demon Ghirahim has planned with her. However, I assure you that we will do everything in our power to get her back. Just stay calm, we will have everything sorted out."

Night Glide's eyes then narrowed her slitted eyes. "No…" she said through gritted teeth. "Not this time… I've been out of action for too long… for the sake of my daughter, I will fight for her and confront that demon myself if I have to! Time to cast off this maid disguise and take up arms again!"

Luna nodded. "I thought you might say something like that. Very well then, Commander Night Glide… it is good to have you back on duty. Rally the Night Guard! I want every forest, every mountain, every crevice of this kingdom searched until the enemy is found!"

Night Glide, commander of the Nocturnal Night Guard and Fluttershy's mother, saluted. "It shall be done, my princess!"


	29. The Mirror of Twilight

Three Gerudo were sitting on a rooftop in Hyrule Castle Town. From their appearance, they could be triplets. All three looked basically the same, except for the colors of their hair. Their body measurements were the same, their faces looked the same, even their clothes and hairstyles were identical.

Two of them enjoyed the view over the town, as the sun slowly began to set. The third one, however, the one with the fiery red hair, fidgeted around uneasily on her sitting spot at the edge of the roof. "I don't get it," she muttered. "What are we even doing here?"

"Why are you so tense, sis?" the blue-haired girl next to her asked. "Try to relax and enjoy the scenery. Isn't it amazing? This is the first time we've been in Hyrule and yet, it feels like coming home."

"But why here? Why Castle Town, of all places? Wouldn't it make much more sense to go to Gerudo Valley first, Lotus?" Or was it Kotake? She really wasn't sure what their real names were anymore.

"Isn't it obvious, you two?" Vera smirked. "What we are looking at is our true destiny. The one thing we always aspired to do: Helping our lord take what should be rightfully his. Hyrule!"

Aloe gasped. "B-but you said we wouldn't harm anyone…"

"I said we wouldn't harm anyPONY! That's what you two were worried about, right? That your new friends from Equestria would hate you if you decided to go against them. Well, we're not. Equestria doesn't really bother us anymore, does it? We're in Hyrule now. Why should we be bothered what those stupid Hylians are thinking?" She laughed.

"She does have a point," Lotus nodded. "Why would they be important to us?"

"But that's wrong!" Aloe protested. "Twilight and the others would never want us to harm anyone."

"But don't you get it? Don't you remember what they did to us?" Lotus asked as she grabbed her sister by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Search your true memories from Hyrule… what are those people like? They look down at us, they see us as thieves and outlaws. We have to live in the harsh climate of the desert, while they prance around in that happy little town of theirs." She turned Aloe's head around with her hands. "Look at them! Do you see what they're doing? Laughing, chatting, aimlessly wandering around in their safe haven, not even bothered in the slightest by the dangers outside of their town walls. Do they care what lives the Gerudo are leading? No, they don't! THAT'S why Lord Ganondorf wanted to conquer Hyrule, to aid his people. Who cares if he summoned monsters and demons to reach his goal? We raised him to do exactly this, don't you remember? We leave Equestria alone, I get it. We have friends there. But these bastards? They are NOT our friends! They don't DESERVE to live!"

Vera smiled. "I couldn't have said it any better."

Aloe gently took her sister's hands and removed them from her head. She looked at her with sad eyes. "But does that make us any different from Ghirahim or Queen Chrysalis? You two say this is our destiny, and I agree that I have a certain feeling of… belonging, when I'm here. But do we really have to repeat what we did in our old lives?"

"Don't tell me you'd be actually HAPPY with living in the desert now," Vera sneered.

"No, that's not it… but… can't we just go back to Ponyville and enjoy our old lives?"

"You said it yourself, they don't trust us anymore," Lotus said. "They kept us prisoner within our own spa. Pinkie Pie didn't even invite us to her party… PINKIE PIE! Do you understand what that means? We are not one of them anymore! No, Aloe… I'm not going back there. Do what you want, but I won't let this chance slip past my grip."

Aloe wanted to protest, but then she thought of what that would entail. Leaving now would mean leaving Lotus behind, her twin sister, the only remaining member of her family. The only solid spot in her life she could rely on. Her life would never be the same without Lotus at her side. So, with a heavy heart, she sighed and said: "Well, okay… but what do you even want to do? How do we start? The Gerudo? I think they're too much under Nabooru's influence that we could count on their help in any way."

"I know they wouldn't help us," Lotus frowned. "We are doing this for their own good, but they have been blinded by the traitor. We need another solution…"

"And I've got just the plan, ladies," Vera smiled. "What do you think why I brought you here in the first place? If Nabooru refuses to listen, there's only one person in the world our sisters would listen to." She pointed her finger at the Temple of Time. "Do you know what's kept inside these walls at the moment?"

"The Master Sword, obviously," Lotus muttered. "Why should we care about that old blade?"

"True, but that's not what I meant. In addition to the Blade of Evil's Bane, there's also another magical artifact kept inside the temple at the moment. A special mirror used to imprison a certain somebody…"

Aloe's eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

"HOLD IT!"

The three of them turned their heads when two other Gerudo arrived at the scene, jumping over from another rooftop. One of them was a stranger, but the other one was Nabooru.

"I knew it was too good to be true," Nabooru grumbled. "Twinrova… even after dying, you just couldn't quit, could you? Right after Princess Luna told me you two would be reincarnated, I just knew you couldn't be trusted. Well, whatever you're planning, I'm here to put an end to this."

Lotus smirked. "Well, hello to you too, Nabooru. Is that any way to treat your elders?"

"Silence! You're not my elders anymore. And even if you were, I wouldn't listen to a word you say." The Sage of Spirits drew her scimitar. "Defend yourselves!"

"This is pointless," Lotus said as she jumped over Nabooru's head when she attacked her. "Even without our friend Vera here, do you believe you can take the two of us on all on your own?"

Nabooru laughed. "Why should I be worried? I know you don't have your full powers back yet, while I have the powers of a sage. Also, I have a helper of my own."

"Oh… I'm not too sure this is a good idea," Din said. "I really can't fight your battles…"

"You're not a fighter?" Vera laughed as she suddenly appeared right behind the dancer girl. "You didn't even think of bringing a warrior to a fight, Nabooru? This is going to be easy." She grabbed Din with a strong grip.

Din winced a bit. "Ow, do you mind? I almost forgot how delicate mortal bodies are… I'm not here to fight you."

"Release her at once!" Nabooru shouted, but then her feet were frozen to the rooftop.

Lotus smirked. "I may not have my whole powers back, but they are still enough to take you on. Where are those sage powers of yours? Don't you think it's time to put them to good use?"

"If you insist…" Nabooru grumbled. Her eyes lit up in an orange light, and her whole body was suddenly engulfed in a sandstorm that appeared out of nowhere. The sage disappeared from the frozen spot, the sand was swept around her opponent, and in a twirl, Nabooru appeared right behind Lotus's back. "Surprise!" she grinned, just as she was about to strike her with her scimitar.

But then, she felt burning pain all over her backside. Realizing that her whole back had caught fire, she rolled around on the roof to put it out.

Aloe glared at her with eyes that were blazing with fury. "Keep your hands off my sister!" she shouted as she fired another small fireball at the sage.

Nabooru dodged the fire with another roll, but then her feet were frozen again by another spell from Lotus. "I knew it," Lotus said. "You aren't used to your powers yet, you are not as powerful as you want to make us believe. You'll never defeat the two of us on your own."

"Good job, girls," Vera smiled. "Now, do you want to kill her now or later? I say do it now and spare yourselves the trouble you're in when she rallies all the other Gerudo against us."

"You really shouldn't do this," Din said from within Vera's grasp. "I implore you to listen to your true feelings and let go of this plan of yours before it is too late."

"Who are you to tell us what our true feelings are?" Vera shouted as she tightened her grasp on the dancer girl. "What do you even know about us?"

"Seriously, who are you?" Lotus asked. "I've never seen you before in my life… my old one, I mean."

"You really don't need to know that," Din said. "All I can tell you is that you're dabbling in forces you can't possibly control. If you free him…"

"I've had enough," Vera grumbled. "Let's kill her, too."

Din gulped nervously. She knew that in this body, she was just as vulnerable as any mortal and could easily die. But she couldn't let them know who she was…

"I'll handle it. This will be over in a moment," Lotus said as she formed an icy spear in her hand and aimed it at Din's throat. "Sorry, sister, but you shouldn't have sided with her."

"Wait, don't! It's me you want, not her!" Nabooru shouted from the ground.

Growing increasingly nervous, Din muttered: "You… you can't… please, listen to me, I…"

"Enough! KILL HER!" Vera shouted.

Lotus drew back her spear, got ready to throw it, Din closed her eyes…

And then, she quickly squirmed out of Veran'd grasp, jumped up and kicked Lotus in the face. Lotus was so surprised by this attack that she did not even try to defend herself. She fell down, as well as the ice spear, which shattered into little pieces.

"I told you not to do it, but it appears you won't listen," Din said. "Oh well, looks like I have to pound it in your skulls until you understand."

At the same time, she heard a voice inside her head: 'Sister! What are you doing? We made an oath not to meddle in the affairs of mortals.'

'I am not intervening as a goddess, Nayru,' Din replied. 'I am acting as a mortal, on their behalf. If I can't use divine powers to get some sense into them, I'll just have to use... what do the mortals call it? Oh yes, a good, old-fashioned smackdown!'

She knew Nayru wanted to protest some more, but she drove the voice of her sister out of her head. All she knew was that she had to stop them from reviving Ganondorf.

"So, it looks like you're a fighter after all," Veran said. "Doesn't really matter. We are three and you are only one."

"Don't think I'll go easy on you," Din said as she went into a martial arts stance.

"Fine," Veran sighed. "If you want to do this the hard way..." She spread her palm and a magical projectile of darkness, shaped like a bug, flew at the dancer. Nimbly, Din avoided the attack. But Veran kept sending more and more of the shadowy insects. "Using martial arts against a magic user... how idiotic can you get?" she grinned. "I can easily hold you off on my own. The two of you, go on ahead without me. I'll have this handled in a few minutes."

"If you say so," Lotus muttered as she got back up from the ground. "Come on, sis." And together, they ran off.

Din started sweating as she had to evade a swarm of shadow insects that kept buzzing around her. She wasn't even able to attack, she had to focus all her concentration on not getting hit. 'Fighting as a mortal is more difficult than it looks like,' she thought to herself. 'Link always makes it look so easy...'

Nabooru gritted her teeth as she tried to free herself from the ice that was still keeping her stuck to the roof. She saw the trouble Din was in and realized she wouldn't be able to defeat Veran on her own.

"I have to get free somehow," she muttered. "I am the Sage of Spirits... I can use that to my advantage somehow..." She concentrated and thought of the hot, burning sand of the desert. The relentless heat that every desert wanderer could feel under his feet and in the air all around him. She called upon that heat and focussed it on her frozen foot. And after a while, the ice started melting. Carefully, Nabooru reached for her scimitar, waited for the right moment... and then jumped back into action. Just as Din was attacked by another swarm of shadow bugs, she intervened and sliced the darkness into half. A spin attack, accompanied by a gust of desert wind, dispersed the rest of the swarm.

"Quite foolish of you to send your accomplices away," she said. "Now there's two of us and only one of you. Would you care to surrender now?"

Veran snarled in anger. "You won this battle, but you haven't seen the last of me." She turned her form into a shadow and disappeared.

Din took a deep breath. "Thanks for the help, sage... I thought I could take her on by myself, but looks like I was mistaken."

"You fought for a good cause, and we won, that's all that matters," Nabooru said. "But now we have to hurry and catch up with the other two."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Temple of Time…

"They still haven't put any guards here," Lotus chuckled. "I know this used to be nothing but a sanctuary, with the Master Sword and the gateway to the Sacred Realm sealed away behind the Gates of Time… but you would think the king would understand that after the opening of the gates, the Master Sword and the mirror are unprotected this way."

"He probably didn't expect anyone to sneak into town this easily," Aloe said. "And the other Gerudo are now on his side… sister, are you really sure we should be doing this?"

"If we back off now, we are going to be punished anyway," Lotus said. "So we can as well go all the way. Look at how close our goal is… and when our lord protects us, they can't do anything to us anyway. Come on now, or do you want me to leave you behind?"

That was more than enough to convince Aloe to follow her sister further inside. Finally, they stood in the chamber of the Master Sword. It shone brightly on top of the pedestal.

"Looks really nice, doesn't it?" Lotus asked. "Too bad we can't do anything with it. Only the hero can wield it, and our powers are not nearly high enough to even cause a scratch in it. Let our lord decide what to do with it after we release him."

She kept on walking, to the backside of the chamber. At the back wall stood a tall mirror, with a surface as smooth as polished marble. Mystical runes were dancing over its front side.

"This is it," Lotus muttered. "The Mirror of Twilight. Can you feel it? All the power within it, and most importantly, the power waiting behind. Are you ready?"

Aloe wasn't ready for this at all, but she wasn't about to let her sister face it all alone. She took her place next to Lotus, in front of the mirror. They started mumbling words in an ancient, forbidden language. Words of power that were meant to shatter any seal.

But then, a glowing circle appeared on the wall next to them and a Hylian boy in a green tunic, a small blue fairy, a princess and a Hylian woman in brown garments stepped into the room.

Zelda gasped. "They are breaking the seal on the mirror! Link, stop them!"

In the corner of her eye, Aloe noticed how the hero was raising his bow, aiming an arrow right at them. But a simple motion of her sister's hand, and a small, but effective barrier of ice separated them from the others and stopped the arrow dead in its tracks.

"Blast it!" Link shouted as he drew his blade and started running around the ice, the strange woman in the brown tunic following him.

But then, the spell was finished. Together, Aloe and Lotus spoke the final words, and the magic within the mirror shone at them in a brilliant light.

But following the light was the darkness. It drove the brightness away and started creeping over the temple floor. And just as Link came around the ice barrier, he saw how a figure emerged from within the mirror. A tall, armored man with red hair… the face from his nightmares…

"NO!" he shouted and raised his blade. It came down on the figure in a shimmering arch…

Only to be stopped by Ganondorf's gloved hand. The grandmaster of evil sneered down at the Hylian boy. "I don't think you quite understand, boy. This…" he glanced at the harmless blade he was holding. "Is not the sword you defeated me with."

One powerful punch of his left hand, and Link was sent flying backwards, down to the floor. Ganondorf kept the simple, Hylian blade in his grasp… and with a powerful motion, crushed it in-between his fingers.

"Link!" the woman in brown gasped as she ran at his side. "Are you all right?"

"I've felt better, Epona…" Link muttered.

Ganondorf laughed as he raised his hand high above their heads. On the backside of it, the Triforce of Power shone brightly. He looked at Link and Zelda. "How come we always seem to meet in important places like this? The three of us, always destined to meet… except that this time, I shall have my revenge!"

* * *

At the same time, in a dark place…

Nightmare Moon faced the silhouette of the shadow horse. "Everything is happening as you wished, my lord. Even better, I managed to acquire Princess Luna's body in the process, removing yet another obstacle."

The echoing voice laughed. _"Good. Very good. I admit, I underestimated you, sorceress of shadows. And I'm glad you proved that your loyalty lies in fact with me, instead of that fool Ganondorf. Do the twins suspect anything yet?"_

"Of course not, my lord," Nightmare Moon said. "On the contrary, they are more convinced that ever that their only destiny is to serve Ganondorf. But what about Ghirahim?"

"_He is as clueless as they are,"_ the shadow horse chuckled. _"At this very moment, he is bringing the Element of Kindness to his new hideout, to lure in the Equestrian Sages. Eventually, he will succeed, as will Ganondorf. But by the time they realize that their plans were all orchestrated by me, it will be too late. And then there will be nothing that they, the goddesses or the heroes will be able to do. And chaos will be spread… sweet, beautiful chaos."_

* * *

Princess Celestia was alone, standing in a white, empty void. She looked around and could see nobody around. No pony and no other being. But she knew she wasn't alone.

"Discord!" she shouted. "Show yourself!"

"Celestia!" the familiar voice of the master of chaos spoke up behind her. "You decided to pay me a visit? How nice of you. Welcome to my little hacienda."

Celestia turned around and saw Discord lounging in a hammock in front of what looked like a holiday resort, in front of a beautiful beach, all of which she was sure weren't there seconds ago.

"Cease the pleasantries and explain yourself," Celestia said. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" Discord asked innocently. "Enjoying a little vacation, away from all the stress? You should try it, you are always so tense." He snapped his fingers and a Hawaiian shirt appeared on Celestia, accompanied by a pair of shades.

Celestia angrily shook the clothes off. "You know exactly what I mean. Equestria is facing certain doom at the hands and hooves of dangerous individuals, and you do not lift a claw to help. You said you wanted to prove to me… to us all… that you've changed. Well? Here's your chance!"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, my dear princess," Discord said, sipping a bit of orange juice. "I'd love to help, honestly, I really do. But I just can't."

"You can't?" Celestia expected anything, an excuse, a riddle, a banana pie to the face, but certainly not this. "What do you mean?"

"I said I can't because I just can't," Discord said vaguely. "I can't tell you all the details, but there are certain things that even chaos can't handle. So let's just forget about these unpleasant things and let us enjoy the finer things of life." He offered her a bowl. "Peanuts?"

"Discord!" Celestia said sternly. "He has Fluttershy!"

That took the master of chaos by surprise. "Fluttershy? Dear, sweet little Fluttershy? The pony that couldn't hurt a fly? The only one who truly considered me a friend? That same Fluttershy?"

"Yes," Celestia said. "A demon in the guise of a unicorn kidnapped her and transformed her into a monstrous beast against her will. And even worse, he wants to force her to commit acts she would consider horrible herself. I know perfectly well you wouldn't do a thing that would risk endangering her. So I ask you again: Why aren't you there, helping her instead of hiding away like a coward?"

"M-me, a coward?" Discord stuttered. "You must have mistaken me with somebody else, Celestia. I'm no coward…"

"Liar!" she shouted. "You are hiding away, doing nothing to help those you consider themselves your friends. You don't even jump at the chance of spreading chaos. What has happened, Discord? What could possibly be the reason for you to stay away from Equestria right now?"

"Because…" Discord took a deep breath. "I can't do it, Celestia."

"You can't do… what?"

"I can't face him. The shadow that's holding the strings in all of this. The creature inhabiting the form of a horse. The one who orchestrated everything, from Ganondorf's invasion of Hyrule to Luna's fall to the dark side. He did it all. And I can't do a thing to stop him."

"Why not?" Celestia asked. "If you know who he is, why can't you take action? Is he more powerful than you?"

"It's possible. I haven't seen him in a very long time. But his power is not the reason I'm not doing anything."

Celestia was confused. Discord admitted he was afraid? Discord admitted there was something he was unable to do? That didn't fit the picture she had of the lord of chaos at all.

"Who is it?" she finally asked. "Who is it that you can't face?"

Discord looked at her, his face a strange mix of sadness, fear and regret. Looking extremely out of place on his face. "He is my brother. That's why I can't face him. Because he is my brother."


	30. An Earth Pony called Aloe

I was at home, packing a few things I knew would come in handy on my journey to Hyrule.

It was weird, thinking of that place now, in my current situation. Just a couple of days ago, living there was all I remembered. But now that I remembered my old life, the adventures I had in Hyrule seemed like they were just a small vacation from my real life, my real home here in Equestria. And still, when Link said he wanted to go back to get the Master Sword, I immediately volunteered to come along.

When my oldest daughter entered the room, I nodded at her with a smile and kept packing. But apparently, there was something on her mind, as she cleared her throat and said: "Mom? Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure, honey," I said. "What's the matter?"

"Well, y'know how I told ya to take care of yerself when you decided to go with Link? I still mean it, but… I've been wondering. How come you're always so quick to jump when it's about him? I know he's your friend and everything, but… you've been traveling with him for such a long time and you've just now come back home… what I mean is, why don't you stay in Equestria for a while?"

I understood right away what bothered her. It wasn't the fact that Link was my friend or that I was worried about him. She was worried that I would go away and never come back, like I did before. I put down my bags for a moment and put my foreleg around my daughter's shoulder. "Listen, honey… I promised myself I would never, ever leave my home and my family ever again. This is my home, and I've decided to stay here. However… just like Ponyville, Hyrule is a special place for me. And Link is my best friend. I don't know how to explain it to you, but I know I can trust him more than anyone else."

"I know that," Applejack sighed. "I'd go and help my friends whenever possible, too. I did it when Rarity was gone and I'll do it now that Fluttershy is gone. It's just… that other world… if you like it that much, how do I know you don't like it better than your old home? What if you decide to stay there after all?" She tried to hide her anxiety, but I could feel her body shiver underneath my touch. "I don't wanna lose you again… I've lived so many years without you, I dunno if I can stand another day with you gone…"

I gave her a hug. "It's okay, Applejack. I'm not going anywhere. I'm just helping a friend and I'll be back before you know it. And you're a strong pony. I know you can manage, my daughter. My strong and honest daughter…"

She fought back a few tears, failed miserably and clung to me like a desperate filly. "All right then," she finally muttered. "I can do it… I'll be strong. Go… help yer friend. And I'll wait for your return."

I smiled. "Good girl. And in the meantime, you help your friend too. Hyrule may need its hero, but Equestria needs its heroes as well."

I took my bags and went outside. Link was already waiting for me in front of the barn, turned back into his Hylian self. "Ready to ride back into action, partner?" he smirked.

I shook my head. "No."

That took him by surprise. "What, getting cold feet all of a sudden? Or would that be cold hooves?"

"That's not it," I said. "I still wanna come with you, but… not like this. Remember when you warned everyone from Ganondorf's plans? After he was stopped, everyone kept talking about the courageous forest boy and his fairy friend. I was just the horse… your sword was more important than me."

"You and me both know this isn't correct," Link said. "You are an important part of this team and my good friend. That's what you were even before I knew that you're an earth pony from Equestria. And the people will realize that as soon as they see you in your new form… in your old form, I mean."

"Are you sure?" I asked skeptically. "I think they will just see another horse, except that it's now smaller and can talk. I want to be seen as your true partner, as someone who really contributed something to Hyrule's cause."

Link scratched his head. "What exactly are you trying to tell me here?"

"You'll see," I said. "Come on, I need to talk to Twilight before we leave."

* * *

A couple of minutes later, at the Ponyville Library…

"You want me to do what?" Twilight asked in surprise as she stared at me.

"You heard me," I said. "I want you to turn me into a Hylian… at least for the time I'm in Hyrule."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Zelda asked. "You've never been in a humanoid body before. And you've never used a weapon. How do you plan in helping Link like that?"

"I'm still strong," I said. "And Link had to get used to walking on four legs as well. If he adapted, so can I."

"But what if you get stuck like this?" Applejack objected. "I don't want my mom to look like a skinny ape for the rest of her life… no offense," she quickly said to Link and Zelda.

"None taken," Link said. "But I have to agree. When I use the masks, I know I can always change back. But do you know what it's like to be stuck in an unfamiliar form? When I was first turned into a Deku, I was terrified. I was afraid I would be stuck in that strange body."

"That's different," I countered. "You were forced into the shape of a Deku, while this is my own choice. And Twilight is an alicorn, right? Her magic has to be powerful enough to do this." I turned to face the princess. "You CAN do it, right?" I was almost convinced she could do it. Before all of this, I always saw alicorns as the gods of Equestria, capable of doing anything. And even though the recent events shook my believes, I told myself that a simple transformation spell should be nothing for somepony as powerful as Twilight.

"Well, it is possible," Twilight finally said. "I can make a soul scan of Link's Hylian matrix, create a template and copy it onto Epona's earth pony matrix."

Everyone standing around the princess looked at her in confusion.

"You got that in clean, understandable Equestrian?" Rainbow Dash asked. Twilight groaned.

Spike sighed. "She means that she can use a spell to turn Epona into a Hylian by using Link as a template."

We all nodded in understanding. "Oooooooh…"

"Wait a minute… did she just say she turned you into a Breezie?" I gaped at my daughter.

"Trust me, it's not the weirdest thing that happened to us," Rainbow said.

"Okay… anyways, you heard it, guys. Twilight said it can be done. And she can turn me back anytime… right?"

"Theoretically… yes," she nodded.

"Good enough. Do it!" I said.

Applejack and Link exchanged glances full of doubt, but didn't object anymore. Link positioned himself next to me, Twilight took a deep breath… and then she fired a beam of magic at the two of us. For a millisecond I was afraid she was going to blast me into smithereens, but I quickly relaxed when the only thing I felt was a tingle.

"Whoa," Link gasped. "That was weird."

I was about to ask him what he meant, when I felt SOMETHING entering me. It felt like an intruder to my whole self, but at the same time, I felt how my body changed to accommodate this foreign presence. As a Hylian, I needed to be able to walk on two legs, so my forelegs turned into arms and my hooves into hands. At the same time, my whole body straightened. My ears grew thinner and more pointy, while my snout shrank back into my face. The weirdest sensation of them all was when my tail disappeared. I didn't even try to think about the two weights that appeared on my chest. Suddenly, I was worried that things might get very uncomfortable if Link took a look at my new self with no clothes… but as soon as my fur vanished, I felt how something else appeared on my body. I took a look down and saw Hylian clothing made out of sturdy, brown leather. A vest, some pants, a pair of boots and a belt that somewhat resembled my tail.

I blinked and, for the first time, raised my fingers up to my face to touch it. My fingers. That thought alone was weird. They were so thin, so wiggly and sensitive. My face felt completely different, too. When I turned to face Link, he looked like his eyes were ready to pop out of his skull. "What's the matter with you?" I frowned.

"You, um… I mean…" He coughed. "You look… good."

"Can't say I share yer sentiment," Applejack frowned. "Yer lookin' mighty weird, Mom."

"Can anyone give me a mirror?" I asked.

Spike quickly ran and brought a mirror. I looked inside and saw a middle-aged, Hylian woman looking back. She was tall, muscular and had tanned skin and shoulder-length, white hair. And her face… well, for Hylian standards, I guess it could be called 'cute'.

"I think you look great, Epona," Navi said.

"You really think so?" I frowned.

She nodded. "Yes. And no one would mistake you for anything but a Hylian."

"She's right," Zelda agreed. "You look like any other Hylian."

"That's all I need to know," I said. "And if you've finished staring, Link, I'd say we're ready to leave. Navi! Open that portal!" And I turned around to dramatically point at the sky…

…only to fall flat on my nose. "OW!" I yelled. "Celestia dammit, that hurts!"

"Oh goodness," Zelda gasped. "Are you all right?"

"I've been better," I grumbled. "And Link, stop your gloating!"

"I didn't do anything," he lied.

"Oh please, I don't have to look at you to see how much you're enjoying this. As far as I remember, you had the same trouble when you first tried walking on four legs."

"I swear I'm not gloating," he said. "If anything, I'm jealous. Every time I transform, it hurts like hell."

Zelda helped me get back on my feet. Standing on those spindly things certainly isn't as easy as it looks. I had a hard time not falling down with every step I took.

"You'll get used to it faster than you think," Twilight said. "Walking on two legs isn't that difficult once you get the hang of it."

"How do you know anything about walking on two legs?" I asked.

"Believe me," Twilight chuckled. "I know."

* * *

Soon after that, Navi lead us back to Hyrule. She, Zelda and I were the only ones accompanying Link, since we all somehow knew that the biggest battle would be fought in Equestria this time around, so the sages still in Equestria remained there to help the ponies in their preparations and planning. On our way back through the fairy realm, I realized quickly that Twilight had been right. Getting used to these legs was a lot easier than I expected. Especially considering that I had Link to lean against.

And no, I didn't have any dirty thoughts about him! Shut up!

"Is it really worth it?" Link asked me as he caught me when I stumbled over some branches for the third time. "We're just going to Hyrule to get the Master Sword and then we'll return. I doubt you'll get a lot of chances of even being seen in public as a Hylian."

"I've thought this through," I said. "And I doubt it's going to be that easy. If there's one thing I've learned from traveling with you, it's that trouble can wait behind every corner. Also, Twinrova escaped to Hyrule, and I doubt they only went back for sightseeing."

"In that case, wouldn't it have been better for you to come along in a body you are used to, if you're expecting trouble? I've seen you fight as a pony, and you've handled yourself quite well in battle."

"I told you I want to do this," I said. "You didn't get a lot of time to get used to your pony form when you were kidnapped out of the blue."

He kept quiet after that, thankfully. His objections were getting irritating.

"There we are," Navi said as we arrived at the other end of the fairy realm. "Where shall I open the portal this time? In the castle again?"

"Let's not waste any time and go right into the Temple of Time," Zelda said. "I don't want to have to explain everything to my father first and waste valuable time. Who knows what Ghirahim does to the ponies of Equestria while we're gone?"

"Good idea," Link said. "That should also decrease our chances of running into trouble, right? Unless it's waiting for us right in the temple." He chuckled.

He just had to say it.

Navi opened the portal, and for the first time in her life, I saw the Temple of Time from the inside, as well as the pedestal with the Master Sword. But I also saw a pair of Gerudos standing in front of a mirror, chanting words in a strange language I could not understand. I didn't recognize them at first, but then I realized they were twins and only one word came to mind: Twinrova!

I heard Zelda gasp next to me. "They are breaking the seal on the mirror," she shouted. "Link, stop them!"

That confused me for a bit. Mirror? Seal? What was she talking about? But while I was standing around in confusion like an idiot, Link acted. He took his trusted bow and shot an arrow at the two women… but it was blocked by a barrier of ice. That proved it to me, those two were Twinrova, and they were up to no good.

"Blast it!" Link shouted as he dropped the bow and instead, drew his sword. And as he started running towards them, I was at his side. It took all of my effort not to trip again.

But no matter how fast we ran, it was not fast enough. All of a sudden, a blinding light came forth from the mirror. I stopped dead in my tracks and raised my new hands in front of my face to shield myself from the brightness. However, the brightness was short-lived. Instead, tendrils of darkness started crawling out of the mirror, followed by a figure I recognized all to easily… Ganondorf!

In the corner of my eyes, I saw how Link's face turned as white as a sheet. "NO!" he shouted and raised his blade. I wanted to warn him that this common blade would probably do nothing against the King of Evil, but it was too late… Ganondorf caught the sword with his hand and sneered down at him. "I don't think you quite understand, boy. This is not the sword you defeated me with."

I cringed when he punched Link without a warning. I gulped a bit when I witnessed his strength… that punch was powerful enough to bring down an entire apple tree.

Ganondorf then took the sword and cracked it like a piñata on Nightmare Night. As for me, I quickly ran over to my friend. "Link! Are you all right?"

"I've felt better, Epona…" he muttered. I helped him back to his feet, then turned to face Ganondorf, fists raised. This might not be the body I'm most comfortable with, but I'd be damned if I let Link face this opponent all by himself.

Laughing, Ganondorf raised his hand. I admit I was getting just a tad nervous when I saw the glowing symbol of the Triforce on it. "How come we always seem to meet in important places like this?" he asked. His gaze wandered from Link to Princess Zelda. "The three of us, always destined to meet… except that this time, I shall have my revenge!"

"We'll just see about that, bison-breath!" I shouted. I probably sounded much more confident than I felt. My enthusiasm dropped even further when Ganondorf looked at me with those eerie, yellow eyes of his. He seemed unimpressed.

"Whoever you are, woman… this does not concern you! Stay out of this fight between your future king and these rebels."

"I… I'm not afraid of you!" I shouted, clenching my fists. "And you're not my king… I only listen to Princess Celestia!"

"Princess who?" He lifted a brow. "Doesn't matter. You're not worth my time… begone!" He raised his palm, and a stream of dark energy streamed over my body. I screamed in pain as I was thrown backwards, against the wall. I felt nothing but pain, humiliation and helplessness. I've always considered myself to be a powerful earth pony, unwilling to let anyone bully me around. I was steadfast and strong, in body as well as in spirit. But this power… this was something out of my league.

"Stop it!" Link shouted. "Your quarrel is with me, not with her."

Ganondorf lowered his hand and the pain stopped. I was left as a quivering mess on the temple floor and he didn't even pay me anymore attention.

"So be it, Hero of Time," he said. "Between you and me, you say? Well then, I guess that battle is already won. You have nothing that could hurt me in your hands…" he shortly glanced over his shoulder at the Master Sword that was still stuck in the pedestal behind him. "While I have POWER!" Once again, he showed off the Triforce of Power. Usually, I would have made fun of him for being obsessed with that thing, but after having felt what he was capable of, I really didn't feel like laughing.

Link gritted his teeth. We really were in a bad situation here… I don't think I would have been able to stand up against Ganondorf even in my pony form.

"Nothing that can hurt you, you say?" Zelda suddenly said. I almost forgot that she was still here, too. So did Ganondorf and Link apparently, as they both looked at her in surprise.

Zelda had picked up the bow Link had dropped and was aiming an arrow at Ganondorf… and not just any arrow. It was a brightly shining Light Arrow!

"Surrender now and return to beyond the seal that kept you," Zelda said sternly. I felt sudden admiration for her ability to stay calm and collected while being confronted with one of the most powerful beings in Hyrule. "Light will always triumph over darkness. You have power, you say? We will face it with wisdom and courage." And as if they wanted to respond to the glow of Ganondorf's own Triforce part, Link's and Zelda's Triforce parts of Courage and Wisdom started shining.

Ganondorf chuckled. "Wisdom… how did wisdom help you? How can wisdom protect against a mighty blade, being swung by a powerful arm? And courage? How can courage prevail when faced with the powers of darkness?" He glared at Link and raised his fist. "I know of the fate you took from me, boy. The future that should have been mine… I would have been king! Hyrule would have been mine! But you took it from me… I will quench out every last bit of courage you have left, and power will prevail."

His words made me so mad. I was still weak and afraid, but the infamous apple stubbornness came back forth. I pushed myself back up and said: "You are wrong, Ganondorf… courage and wisdom will always prevail over power. And do you know why? Because they are united… in FRIENDSHIP!"

"A ridiculous sentiment," Ganondorf scoffed. "Friendships are easily broken. I single-handedly created a wedge within my own tribe, didn't I? Those who are loyal to me and those who still seek to rebel. Also, friendships can be easily abused. Remember how I managed to gain the king's trust? I pretended to be his friends. And it would have worked, if it wasn't for this meddling boy and his little fairy!"

'And his horse, too!' I wanted to shout, but I stopped myself.

"You can say whatever you want, Ganondorf," Zelda said, still aiming the Light Arrow at him. "You are not leaving this place."

"Do you really think you have it in you, princess?" Ganondorf laughed. "You can fire that arrow at me, sure. And it will probably hurt. But it won't be enough. You said it yourself, courage and wisdom must be united to stand up against power. But the way I see it, courage isn't exactly a threat right now." He turned his smug, grinning face to Link. "No weapon to fight me with, even your bow is now held by the princess you always have to protect and save. Tell me, boy, what will you do to stop me? Fight with your bare hands? Throw a boomerang at me? Take out a fishing pole?" He laughed. "Face it, you are nothing without the Master Sword."

He turned his back to Link and Zelda. It was very unsettling for all of us that he wasn't worried in the slightest about the arrow pointed at his backside. He slowly walked up to the pedestal. "This is the so-called 'blade of evil's bane'. I admit, it has been a thorn in my side in the past. I know I can't even touch it… but I truly wish I could claim this power for my own." He raised his hand towards the blade. "Just imagine… a corrupted Master Sword in my own hands, pulsing with the powers of darkness… yes, I like that idea. I even feel something deep within the blade… as if something in there is calling out for me… something that belongs to me…"

"No!" another voice suddenly spoke up. "You shall never take this sword into your hands! And you shall never claim what is sealed within!"

"What is this?" Ganondorf gasped as the Master Sword began to glow in its own light. It was pulsing in the same rhythm as the glow coming from Link's Triforce of Courage. The sword rose out of the stone, all on its own, and for a split second, I could have sworn I saw a transparent spirit behind the sword, a floating female figure with long sleeves and blue skin.

Link raised his hand and the Master Sword landed safely in his grip. "Guide me with your hands, master," the voice spoke. "And make sure that the great evil will never reform itself."

Link took the hilt of the sword with both hands and glared at Ganondorf with new-found resolve. "Looks like I have a weapon against you after all, Ganondorf," he said. "What will you do now?"

Ganondorf grunted angrily as he looked back and forth between Link with the Master Sword and Zelda with the Light Arrow. I could see he was desperate to fight them, to have his revenge… but he still held himself back.

"Not this time around, heroes," Ganondorf grumbled. "I shall not be sent back beyond the seal by you… and I will not be defeated by those weapons of light you carry. I will reclaim my destiny… once I have in my hands a weapon of my own, a blade of darkness that shall shatter your light, along with your hopes."

He picked up one of the bigger shards of ice that remained from Twinrova's wall and hurled it at one of the big, stained glass windows, which shattered under the impact. He then levitated himself up into the air, using his dark magic and glared down at us one last time, before he turned around to fly away.

"You shall not escape!" Zelda shouted as she fired her arrow… but she missed and hit the wall. To my left, I saw how the Gerudo witches tried to flee as well.

"Not so fast!" I shouted as I ran towards them… only to trip and fell flat on my nose… again. Frustration welled up inside me as I saw them leaping out of the broken window.

In retrospect, taking on the form of a Hylian wasn't one of my brighter ideas.

* * *

Even though their king did not speak a single word to them ever since they freed him his banishment, Aloe and Lotus still followed him without questioning where he was going and what he was planning. In Lotus' eyes, he was their king and he alone could make their decisions. And in Aloe's eyes, she could only follow her sister, since she had no other person left in her life.

After following his cloaked shadow as it flew across the Hylian plains, they approached the borderland of Gerudo Valley. It was there that Ganondorf decided to land. Aloe and Lotus quickly caught up with him and knelt down in front of him.

Ganondorf turned around and looked down at them for a while, contemplating. Then he spoke: "Twinrova… you have changed."

"A lot has happened ever since you left us, my lord," Lotus said, her head still bowed. "We were reincarnated in another land, far away from Hyrule. But we've never faltered in our loyalty."

"My lord," Aloe dared to speak up. "Is it wise for us to be here? Most Gerudo have turned from you and are now loyal to Nabooru and…"

"That will be no problem," Ganondorf said, interrupting her. "First, tell me everything that has happened… everything!"

And Lotus started explaining. She told Ganondorf about Equestria, how she and Aloe were reincarnated there as ponies, how Ghirahim found them and how they met again with the Hero of Time. They also told him about the princesses, the shadow horse, Ghirahim's plans and everything that happened after Link first appeared in their spa. Ganondorf did not interrupt her once. He listened carefully to every word she said and only made a gesture every now and then to make her keep talking. After she was finished, he was rubbing his chin.

"Interesting," he said. "Another world, you say? Normally, I would have no interest in such a place… from the sounds of it, it and its inhabitants are weak and cling to sentimental ideals, even more than Princess Zelda. But that shadow horse you told me about intrigues me… it claims to be my dark steed, a demon who aims to usurp my position? And this demon servant of his… you state he is in fact a demonic blade, given human form?"

"Well, it's an Equestrian form at the moment," Lotus said. "But you're basically right, my lord."

"Now that would be a weapon after my taste," Ganondorf grinned. "I shall have to pay that world of equines a visit after all, if not only to prove to this shadow and its servants that there shall be only one Demon King! But first things first… I need to reclaim my position here in Hyrule. The charade of acting as the king's subordinate has run its course, he and his people now know what to expect of me. But if anything, I need to bring my own people back at my side."

"How are you planning on doing this, my lord?" Aloe asked. "Almost all of them are siding with Nabooru, who is now a sage and ally of the royal family of Hyrule."

"My loyal little witch," Ganondorf smirked. "Don't tell me you've lost your cunning while you were reincarnated. Don't you see why they are siding with Nabooru? They see no other path in front of them. With me taken away from them, they don't see any other solution to survive than to side with the enemy. But believe me, as soon as they see that I have returned to them, they will be willing to serve me once again, either out of loyalty, respect or fear. And those few who still seek to rebel, including the traitor Nabooru… well, they will find out just what it means to fraternize with the enemy…"

Aloe's eyes went wide. "You don't mean…"

He clenched his fist in front of his face and surrounded it with darkness. "Everyone who dares to oppose me… shall die! Including any traitorous Gerudo. Including any ally from the royal family. Including the shadow horse and his minions, and even including those ridiculous ponies from Equestria, should they be foolish enough to stand against me."

For Aloe, that was the last straw. She wanted nothing more than a peaceful life at her sister's side. She was willing to follow her to Equestria. She was willing to live as a Gerudo once more. She was even willing to free Ganondorf… but killing her own kind, ponies and Gerudo alike? She couldn't do that. This was not who she was. And for the first time, she truly realized who she was.

In a past life, her soul might have inhabited the body of the Gerudo witch Koume, and she may have inherited her memories… but she was not Koume. She was not part of Twinrova and she was not a Gerudo. She was Aloe Blossom, an earth pony born and raised in the town of Ponyville, in Equestria.

She turned away, making Ganondorf furrow his brow. "I'm sorry… but I shall not take any part in this."

"Aloe!" Lotus hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Be quiet!" Ganondorf said to Lotus, and she quickly obeyed. Before Aloe had any chance of leaving, he walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She froze and shivered.

"You would turn away from me?" he asked. "You would throw away siding with your king and helping him reclaim his kingdom? You would prefer life as a weak, frail, four-legged creature to a life filled with glory and power? You would betray me?"

Aloe had never been this scared before, in neither of her lives. But she couldn't be part of this anymore. Never again!

"I don't betray you," she said. "Because I've never been your servant." She looked up at him, scared but resolute. "I am Aloe, an earth pony… and I'm not Koume, fire witch of the Gerudo."

"I see," Ganondorf said calmly. "I am sorry you see it this way."

Lotus didn't dare budge an inch, but she looked at her sister with disbelief. How could she throw this away, this chance for a new beginning, this chance to follow her destiny?

"But I admire your bravery," Ganondorf said. "I just told you what I would do to traitors, to those who would turn away from me, and yet you still did it. While I respect power more than courage, it tells me you have a strong character, no matter if you decide to inhabit the weak body of an equine instead of being a proud Gerudo. Also, while you claim you are not the same person as before, I cannot forget that it was you and your sister who helped me grow strong after my birth. You turned me into what I am today. For that reason alone, I shall let you live."

"You… you're letting me go?" Aloe muttered in confusion.

"I am," Ganondorf nodded. "But before you go… there is still the matter of collecting my debts." He strengthened the grip on Aloe's shoulder, and she cried out as she felt his powers seeping deep into her body and soul… And then, she felt how something from deep within her was sucked out of her.

Ganondorf's eyes and hand began to glow as he continued to drain every last bit of Hyrule magic from Aloe's body. Her body transformed back into a quadruped shape, and she fell to the ground, once again an earth pony. But Ganondorf kept his grip on her until the only magic left within her was her innate earth pony magic that connected her to the earth of Equestria.

Finally, Ganondorf ripped her headband with the red jewel from her skull. "You renounced your birthright as a Gerudo," he said. "So everything that made you one shall be taken from you. You now are what you wanted to be: A pathetic pony with no reason to exist on this world Hyrule! Now go… leave this place and never come back!" He glared at her. "If I ever see you again in front of me, opposing me… your life will be forfeit!"

And with another clench of his fist, he cracked the red jewel, absorbing all of its magic into his own body, using the Triforce of Power.

He then turned to the other sister. "Come along now, loyal servant. Your sister has died. You are now the only remaining member of Twinrova, Kotake the ice witch. Serve me, follow me and leave this wretched creature alone in the dust."

Having heard her master's orders, Kotake averted her eyes from the earth pony Aloe and rose to her feet. "Yes, Lord Ganondorf! I obey."

Together, they approached Gerudo Valley, leaving Aloe behind as she could do nothing but cry to herself.


	31. Bat Pony Brawl

The Flutterbat was irritated. At first, her thirst for delicious apples had been completely replaced with an irresistible thirst for blood. And just when she was about to quench that thirst by attacking the nearest, living creatures she could find, she found herself within a dark cave, accompanied by a strange pony whose presence somehow unsettled her. But she put those feelings of unease aside… she was hungry and she needed to feed. So she pounced at her prey with a hiss.

Ghirahim chuckled as he effortlessly evaded the bat pony's attack. "This is certainly an improvement, I must say," he smirked. "Voracious, aggressive and feral. Much more useful than the timid weakling you were before. But you are still untamed… out of control. You need to learn who your master is."

The Flutterbat had no intention of listening. With a snarl, it attacked again… only to be stopped the demon unicorn's telekinetic hold.

"You will know your place soon enough," he said. His eyes began glowing in a dark purple light. "I am the master… and you are the pet! Submit to the will of the demon lord, creature!"

The Flutterbat hissed again, but this time, it was out of fear. She found her willpower slipping away and with each passing second, became more and more subservient to the demon lord in front of her. In the end, she cowered in front of his feet, still hungry, but submissive.

Ghirahim smiled. "Good, very good. This is where all of you ponies belong, at my feet. But do not worry, my pet, you will be fed soon enough. For now, let us retreat to my hideout… and those mongrel slaves better have finished their work when I come back, or they will face my wrath! But for now, I need a chariot."

One glow of his horn, and out of thin air, a dark chariot decorated with spikes, demon wings and dark red gemstones appeared. At the same time, a harness appeared on the Flutterbat.

"It is time for your first duty in my service, pet," Ghirahim said. "You get to have the honor of pulling my illustrious self to my new seat of power. Doesn't that sound glorious?"

The Flutterbat uttered a small screech and waited for her new master to step into the vehicle and take the reins. She then pulled the chariot out of the cave and up into the air, across the dark night sky.

* * *

Applejack was pacing back and forth in the family kitchen. She was feeling extremely restless. She wished she could distract herself by doing some of the chores, but all of the apples for the day were already bucked, the animals were fed and there were no repairs to be done anywhere on the farm. Hoping she could do anything to help her granny in the kitchen, she came here. But Granny Smith told her she had everything under control. So the young farm pony had nothing better to do than walk back and forth.

Of course Granny wasn't born yesterday, she could tell something was bothering her granddaughter. So she turned the stove down and looked Applejack in the eyes. "All right, young'un, what seems to be the problem?"

Applejack knew she wasn't that good at hiding things, especially from Granny Smith, so she sighed and told her: "It's just… I feel so useless these days. Sure, I went on a big rescue mission to save Rarity, but it turns out, the rescue would have been successful even without my help. Mom always goes on these big adventures to help save Hyrule from whatever danger is coming up and even has a partner to protect. And now that Fluttershy's gone, there's really nothing I can do to help either. Twilight's in the library doing research, Rainbow's flying everywhere from Ponyville to Baltimare to see if she can spot a feather of our friend, Rarity's talkin to her contacts in Canterlot and Pinkie is helping by lifting everypony's spirits up. And what am I doing? Just pacing back and forth like an idiot!" She put her hoof in front of her face. "Some daughter of a hero I turn out to be…"

"Come now, Applejack," Granny said softly, patting her granddaughter's back. "There's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Who managed to keep the farm running all those years, even with her parents gone? Who's always the first to face danger when her friends are in trouble? Isn't that you?"

"But I'm useless!" Applejack protested. "Whatever did I do to help save the world instead of holding a magic piece of jewelry? Mom carried Link through countless dangers, fought her own share of battles and even right now, she's at his side to help."

Granny Smith frowned. "Did I ever teach you to doubt yerself when the moment seems bleak? I know for a fact you did more than just holding the Element of Honesty… and for that matter, that's a darn honorable thing to do, don'tcha think? You are what you are because you always stay true to yerself." She gently placed a hoof on Applejack's chest. "Nowadays, honesty isn't always easy to come by. You're a firm, immovable beacon of confidence within the masses that swindle and lie to get things done. And who says you never do anything? You kicked the flanks of invading changelings, you saved lil' Spike from Timberwolves and you're one of the most dependable ponies Ponyville has ever seen! Don't you believe for one moment that you're useless!"

After that lecture, Applejack felt almost ashamed that she allowed her frustrations to get the better of her. "You're right, Granny," she sighed. "But I really wish I knew what I could do to help right now."

"I'm sure there's plenty you can do," Granny said. "How bout you go to Twilight and help her with her research? Or you could go to Pinkie Pie and the two of you ask around town if anypony has a lead."

"That's a good idea, actually," Applejack said. "Why didn't I think of that? I guess all that moping distracted me so much that I couldn't think straight. Thanks for snapping me out of it."

Granny smiled. "That what old Granny is for, young'un. Now, you run along and find your friend while I take care of these here fritters."

Applejack nodded and was just about to head outside, when the door suddenly shook under heavy thumping coming from the other side. The blows were so powerful that the whole door was ripped out of its hinges and fell to the ground.

The big stone bull standing outside gave Applejack a sheepish smile. "Um, sorry about that. I was just knocking on the door, since that's the polite thing to do and all, but I always forget that other creatures rarely make doors as sturdy as the ones in Goron City.

"Don't worry about it," Applejack said. "Happens to Big Mac all the time. Now, what can I do ya for, big fella?"

Before Darunia could answer, a pink blur popped up next to him. "Ohmygosh, Applejack! You'll never believe what just happened!" One of the biggest grins she had ever managed to put on was on her face right now, and that's saying something, for Pinkie Pie. "Darunia just suggested that I become his Sworn Sister! Isn't this the most amazing thing ever?"

"Um… his Sworn… Sister?" Applejack muttered. "What does that mean?"

"It's a bond of honor shared by Gorons with a person they can trust," Darunia explained with a proud grin. "Not many outsiders get the honor of being Sworn Brothers or Sisters with a Goron. But Pinkie Pie here has proven to me that she has the soul of a Goron. She welcomes everyone… or everypony with friendship and respect. And she manages to uplift the spirits of everyone around her. When she burst into song earlier, I just couldn't stop my feet from dancing, it was so catchy."

"That's Pinkie for ya," Applejack smirked. "So, I guess that means congrats to you two."

"But that's not the best part, Applejack!" Pinkie shouted. "Don't you get it? Being his Sworn Sister basically means that he's part of the family… aaaaand since I'm basically an Apple, too, that means we are ALL FAMILY! Yay!" And she engulfed Applejack, Darunia and Big Macintosh, who just came in to see that all the commotion is about, in a massive hug. An impressive feat, considering the sizes of the two males. "Isn't this great?" Pinkie smiled.

"Um… eeyup?" Big Mac muttered, uncertainly.

"Well, that's very nice and all, but can ya put us down for a sec?" Applejack asked. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about. In fact, it's a good thing you're here. Since Twilight's buy with her research, Rainbow is flying all over the place and Rarity is in Canterlot, do you think the two of us could ask around Ponyville to see if there's anypony who can help us find Fluttershy?"

Pinkie gasped. "Oh my gosh! You're right! We can totally do that! And since I know everypony in Ponyville, there's got to be somepony who can help us. And you can come along and help too, right, Darrie?"

"Um… Darrie?" Darunia raised a rocky eye ridge.

"Sure. Or do you prefer Runie?" Pinkie asked.

They went on their way. That is, Applejack and Pinkie went on their way and Darunia decided to accompany them, while Big Mac started fixing the door and Granny Smith went back to preparing dinner.

"So, um… you got any other… Sworn Brothers or Sisters, besides Pinkie?" Applejack asked.

"Oh yes," Darunia nodded. "Link is my Sworn Brother. After everything he did for the Goron tribe, how could he not be?"

"That Link fella sure did some amazing stuff, it seems," Applejack said. "Can you tell me a bit more about him? I mean, he's my mom's closest friend… I'd like to know a bit more about him."

"I'd be honored to share what I know with you, friend," Darunia smiled. "Well, where to begin? Link is a very brave, strong and compassionate lad. He always puts the well-being of others above his. And he never hesitates to volunteer when there are problems to be solved. He's also strong, capable with the blade and swift on his feet. A bit on the skinny side, though."

"Sounds like he's a really swell guy," Pinkie smiled. "Hey, Applejack! You know who Link reminds me of?"

"Uh…" Applejack scratched her head. "I can't think of anypony off the top of my head, who do you mean, Pinkie?"

"You!" Pinkie said. "You are brave, strong, always willing to help others… I guess it's no wonder your mom likes him as a friend."

"Are they really that similar?" Darunia asked.

Pinkie nodded. "Yup, indeedy! When Ponyville is in trouble, Applejack always jumps in to help. That one time she saved the town from a stampede of cows… even though she wasn't able to save it from the stampede of bunnies, but oh well, at least she tried."

Applejack blushed. "C-can we not speak of this certain event?" she muttered. She wasn't too proud of what happened that day, especially not since she was responsible for the second stampede.

Darunia smiled. "Then I am even prouder to have Pinkie Pie as my Sworn Sister, seeing that she has relatives that could make any Goron warrior proud."

"Strange, because I thought you did it because I'm Maud's sister and you wanted to do something to impress her," Pinkie said.

Now it was Darunia's time to blush. "I, ahem, don't know what you're talking about." He coughed nervously.

* * *

Twilight had gathered every book in her library she could find about the behavior of vampire fruit bats or transformation spells. While she knew she could use the same spell she already used once to turn Fluttershy back to normal, she still had no explanation as for why she attacked Ruto and Gilda.

"Maybe if I read through 'Wild Changes of the Wilderness' again, I might find a clue…" she muttered to herself.

She tried to focus on her work, but found that she was unable to concentrate fully on the matter at hand. The fact that she was worried about Fluttershy might have something to do with it. But she assumed the actual reason was that she never had somepony stand constantly behind her while she was doing her research, watching her every single movement."

Twilight cringed a bit, turned around and said with the politest voice she could muster: "No offense, but… do you have to look over my shoulder the whole time?"

Impa raised an eyebrow. "Princess Zelda instructed me to stay here in Ponyville and assist you with anything you desire. It is my duty to serve. And while my loyalties lie foremost with Hyrule's royal family, you are also royalty, a close ally and a friend of Princess Zelda. So I stand vigilant all the time, in case you have any order for me to carry out."

"But you don't have to do that," Twilight protested. "Really, I'm fine. There is nothing I need you to do at the moment."

"I see. Then I will stand guard here until you need me."

Twilight suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "But isn't there anything you can do in the meantime? Read a book, go for a walk, take a look at Ponyville? I know we are facing a crisis right now, but as long as you've got the time…"

"That is inconceivable," Impa said. "My liege's well-being comes before my own interests."

"You know, if you really wanna do Twilight a favor, you could start with not being so stuck-up all the time," Spike said as he walked up to her. "She needs to concentrate when she's reading, and she can't do that as long as you're bothering here."

That comment seemed to surprise Impa. "My… presence is interfering with your work? Why didn't you say so, princess?"

Twilight sent a silent 'Thank you' to Spike with her eyes. "Well, I didn't say anything because I didn't want to be rude and you seem to be so devoted to your job… but yes, it would be better if I could work in peace and quiet."

Impa thought about it and nodded. "Understood. I will then stand guard outside the premises. If you need anything, call me."

"Thank you," Twilight said and Impa went outside.

"What's the matter with her?" Spike grumbled. "I know she's just trying to please you and Zelda, but she's going way over the top with this. I mean honestly, what is she trying to prove?"

Twilight chuckled. "She reminds me of a certain other personal assistant who always tries to prove himself,"

"Um, point taken," Spike coughed. "So… did you find anything useful?"

"Not much," Twilight sighed. "I wanted to do a closer analysis of the misfired spell I used on Sweet Apple Acres, back when Fluttershy turned into a bat for the first time. But it's difficult to do so without the target subject at hand. And I don't know anything about the spell this Ghirahim used on her. If only I knew what reason she had to attack like that. She wasn't like that the first time she transformed. Sure, she was feral and acted aggressive, but only when we came too close to her. And she only ate apples, nothing else. Fruit bats are no predators, not even vampire fruit bats. I need more information about how she acted. I need to talk to Gilda and Ruto one more time… do you know where they are at the moment?"

"Well, Ruto is at Fluttershy's cottage at the moment, taking care of her animal friends. As for Gilda… she's still hanging around Ponyville, I think. Don't ask me where she's staying, though. I asked Rainbow Dash, but she seemed a little… touchy when it comes to Gilda."

"No big surprise there," Twilight sighed. "She must still be mad at her. I'll go find her… can you sort these books back in where they belong?"

Spike nodded. "Will do."

That's when they both heard the sounds of fighting coming from outside.

* * *

The first thing Impa saw when she left the library was a group of bat-winged ponies approaching the building. Her keen eye absorbed the whole situation: There were three of them, one female, two male. They were wearing some sort of armor and the residents of Ponyville were looking at them in astonishment, as if their appearance was out of the norm.

Diligently, Impa stood in front of the library door. The two male bat ponies exchanged several confused, but the female didn't seem to be fazed by the Sheikah's appearance at all. She motioned her entourage to stay behind, which they obediently did, a sign that she must be the one in command.

The female bat pony walked up to Impa with a smile. "Greetings. I am here to see Princess Twilight."

"The princess is taking care of extremely important matters and must not be disturbed," Impa proclaimed.

The bat pony raised an eyebrow. "Well, my business with the princess is important as well. I'm sure she'll have a few minutes. If you'd just inform her I'm here…"

"I am sorry, but the princess made herself perfectly clear. She wishes not to be seen at the moment," Impa said firmly.

"I see, you're one of those servants. Dutiful, always on guard… and as stubborn as only earth ponies can be. Now, I don't have all day, so would you kindly move aside? I am a commander of the Night Guard and as such…"

"Your titles hold no superiority over me," Impa said. She didn't even clarify that she was no earth pony. "You shall not pass!"

The bat pony sighed, but to Impa's surprise, it was not a sigh of frustration, but rather one of amusement. "Looks like you give me no choice but to teach you a lesson, little guard. This will be exciting… it's been a while since I had some exercise and entertainment at the same time." She removed her helmet and started flexing her leg and wing muscles.

"But Commander!" one of the male bat ponies protested. "You don't have to do this. Let us remove this upstart pony from the premises and…"

"Shush, rookie!" the female commander said. "She'd wipe the floor with you. Now stand back and let your commander take care of things, would you?"

So she was not only an experienced fighter, her eye was keen enough to realize Impa was a good fighter as well. Impa knew these ponies were her allies, but her orders would clear. And she would fight them if that meant the princess would not be disturbed. She took on a traditional Sheikah fighting stance, slightly adapted to her new, four-legged body, of course. "I won't hold back!"

"Oh, I was hoping you wouldn't," the commander smirked. "That would be too boring. Now, show me what you got!"

Impa leapt into action, striking at the bat pony with precise hoof-punches. The commander blocked the first few attacks and then used her wings to leap up into the air and then come down again on her opponent, hind legs first. Impa barely managed to avoid the lightning-fast attack and twirled around to hit the bat pony with a roundhouse kick.

The commander took the hit in the face, backed off a bit and wiped some blood from her smirking mouth. "Not bad. Now it's my turn!"

And then she attacked with a flurry of strikes so fast and fierce that Impa had trouble avoiding or blocking all of them. She was not just using her hooves to attack, but also her wings. And at the same time, she was moving in a fluid motion, as if every single one of her movements was trained… which was probably the case. In the end, Impa couldn't up with her opponent's fast strikes anymore and got hit by a straight, powerful kick right into the middle of her chest. The blow drove all the air out of her lungs and made her fly against the trunk of the tree the library was situated in.

Smiling at her fallen opponent, the bat pony lowered herself back onto the ground. "Had enough?"

The library door opened and Spike and Twilight looked at the scene with wide eyes. "What in the name of Celestia is going on out here?" Twilight asked. She gasped when she saw Impa lying on the ground. "Oh no! Are you all right?"

Impa grumbled as she pushed herself back up. "I am… unharmed, princess." And while she had some bumps and bruises, what hurt her the most was the fact that the bat pony had been holding back to fight with Impa on an equal level. And yet she still lost.

"What did you do to her?" Twilight shouted at the bat pony. "Stay away from her, I mean it!"

"No need for aggressions, princess," the bat pony said. "My apologies for punching your bodyguard servant around a bit, but I need to speak to you urgently, and she stood in my way."

"She's not my servant… but you still didn't have to hit her," Twilight frowned. "Who are you anyways?"

"Commander Night Glide of the Lunar Night Guard… and these are my subordinates, Lieutenant Darkhoof and Private Shade!" The commander bowed and her soldiers did the same. "On Princess Luna's command, we are here to assist you."

"Princess Luna sent her guards her to help you?" Spike said in surprise. "Wow, that's a first."

"Well, I appreciate your help, but I'm afraid there's not much you can help me with at the moment," Twilight said. "We don't know where the enemy is at the moment and right now I am very busy with doing research regarding the transformed state my friend is in."

"Ah, but I can help with both of these," Night Glide said. "First of all, I have some reports from my scouts here that should give us some insight as to where the enemy has retreated."

"That would be helpful," Twilight admitted. "But if you have such reports, why didn't you bring them to me sooner?"

"The scouts just came back from their mission," Night Glide explained. "Also, I needed to rally my troops. All soldiers from Midnight Fortress are now at your service, my lady."

Twilight blinked, a bit overwhelmed by this turn of events. All of a sudden, she was in command of an army. "That's… great and all, but I still don't see how you can help me with my magic studies."

"That's just it, princess," Night Glide said. "Fluttershy's appearance has not changed by a spell… it was the catalyst to trigger the change, true, but the real reason that she looks like this is different. You see… Fluttershy always had the blood of a Nocturnal, or bat pony as you call us, within her. Your spell just drove it to the surface."

"What?" Twilight shouted. "That is ridiculous! Fluttershy has always been a pegasus, even in her childhood. Why would you say such a thing?"

Night Glide narrowed her eyes. "I know her better than any other pony you have met, princess. You see, I am Fluttershy's mother."

For a while, Twilight couldn't do anything besides just standing there with her mouth open.

Spike tilted his head. "I can kinda see the resemblance… she has your wings."

"Spike!" Twilight said.

"What? It's true!" Spike said. "Look, they are the same shape as Fluttershy when she's in her bat form."

"I had always wished to see her like this some day," Night Glide sighed. "But now that this demon has captured her… I'll do anything in my power to bring him down and bring my sweet daughter back home. So please, princess…" She knelt down. "Please accept my help."

Twilight still wanted to protest… the idea that Fluttershy had a bat pony as a parent seemed preposterous… but when she looked down at Night Glide, she saw the worry in her eyes, the same worry her own mother always expressed when she knew her daughter was in a dangerous situation.

"I gladly accept your help to find Fluttershy," Twilight said. "And I swear to you, I'll do anything I can to break that spell the demon unicorn has cast on her."

Night Glide stood back up and looked at Twilight with gratitude. "Thank you, princess."


	32. Sages at the Hayburger's

Gilda and Daring Do were sitting together at a table at the Hayburger's, Daring in her disguise as A.K. Yearling. Still, she got a lot of unwanted attention from fans like this… Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle weren't the only Daring Do fans in Ponyville. She offered the owner of the Hayburger's a nice amount of bits so they could sit in a nice, secluded spot, but that didn't stop the fans from peering through the window and taking pictures. However, while this was pretty annoying for both of them, they had bigger problems to worry about at the moment.

Gilda fidgeted around nervously on her seat, took a bite from her burger (she had been pretty disappointed when she found out they didn't serve real meat in their burgers) and glanced down towards the spot where Daring's cutie mark was obstructed from view by the dress she was wearing.

Daring coughed awkwardly. "So…"

"Yeah…"

Daring took a glance at Gilda's all-new cutie mark as well. "We're sages now, huh?"

"Looks like it, dude…"

"And… are you okay with it?"

"To be honest, I have no idea," Gilda sighed. "I mean, it was surprising enough finding out that Dash has supposedly this huge destiny of carrying a magic piece of girly jewelry… I wonder why she didn't tell me about it the last time I was here… but now I'm supposed to be part of this world-saving shtick?" She gritted her beak. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about this."

"Is that what's bothering you?" Daring asked. "Having to help save the world, having to do something that you never wanted to do in the first place?"

"Hey, up until now, I didn't even believe in this destiny bullshit," Gilda shouted. "I can make my own decisions in life, thank you very much. I don't need any sparkly butterfly gemstones on my butt to know that!" She looked back at her own flank with a groan, where the Element of Kindness was still clearly visible for everypony to see. "And why did it have to be Flutters' cutie mark? Dash's is way cooler." She looked at Daring. "You don't suppose we could swap, do you?"

Daring shook her head with a sigh. "I don't think that's how it works," she said. "So, you know Rainbow Dash pretty well?"

"Yeah, we were best buds after we met in flight camp," Gilda said. "I always hated having to go to a pegasus camp – no offense – but I guess that happens when you're a griffon living in Equestria." She shrugged. "Well, most of the other ponies were always scared when they looked at me. It bothered me to no end, they didn't even try to get to know me. All they saw was a huge, scary griffon and ran. Of course I got mad and started picking on them. But Dash was different. She's cool and she doesn't care what I look like. She's also tough and one of the best flyers I've ever seen."

"That sounds like her, all right," Daring chuckled. "I don't know her very long, but after she helped me against Ahuizotl, I realized she lived for the thrill of the adventure… kind of like me. At first, I thought she'd be like all the other annoying fan girls that gush over me wherever I go, guise or no guise."

Gilda laughed. "Dash had a fan girl moment when she saw you? That would have been hilarious to watch. She always tries her best to keep calm and cool, but you should see her whenever somepony mentions the Wonderbolts."

"So I understand that you're best friends with Rainbow… but what about Fluttershy? Isn't she your friend, too?"

"Yeah… well… sorta…" Gilda scratched the back of her head. "Listen, I usually don't like talking about this, okay? I'll tell you only because we're kinda in the same boat here. So, um… don't tell anypony about this, okay?"

"Hey, if anypony can keep a secret, it's me," Daring smiled.

"Thanks. Okay, well… Flutters is… how should I put this? She's everything Dash isn't. She's quiet, she's slow, she's shy and doesn't exactly aim high with her goals in life. But she's perfectly fine with it. She also went to flight camp with Dash and me… I still don't know what she was doing there, anyways. Maybe her parents made her go. Anyways, seeing her always bothered me to no end. Not because I hated her or anything. But I thought to myself: How could anypony live like this? Don't you have any ambitions? Don't you have any dreams? Don't you wanna make something out of you? Sure, I'm always the big bully and prankster, but I still wanna be respected. Fluttershy? She doesn't care what others think of her as long as they don't bother her. It was so irritating."

"So did you pick on her as well?" Daring asked.

"I would have, but Dash always kept me from it. She made it sound like Flutters wasn't worth the trouble, but now I know she really cared about her. After Fluttershy started living on the ground, I barely ever saw her again until I came to Ponyville to visit Dash. And when I saw her, guiding those small animals across the street, all of the frustrations came back to the surface and I let it all out on her." Gilda sighed. "Nowadays I feel like a jerk when I think back to it. But back then, it felt satisfying."

"Was it really satisfying?" Daring asked.

"Well… no, it wasn't. But I kept telling myself it was. I didn't want to lose my cool, my tough attitude. I mean, I'm a strong griffon. Why should I care about wimpy ponies? Again, no offense. That's just what I kept telling myself."

"I understand," Daring said. "What happened next?"

Gilda grimaced. "I made a giant fool out of myself at the party Rainbow's friend Pinkie Pie threw for me. In my efforts to stay cool and tough all the time, I really thought she'd set this party up to play a trick on me, to make a fool out of me. So I lost my temper again and threw a fit in front of everypony, Rainbow Dash included. That's when she said something to me… she said that if I was unable to accept her new friends, I should try find some new friends, somewhere else."

"That must have been hard," Daring said.

"Yeah… I mean, this was the one pony that had always sided with me. The toughest of the tough, the coolest of the cool. The one pony who always accepted me as I am. And suddenly she tells me to stay away from her and her friends… it felt like a betrayal to me. And so, I did the next stupid thing: Instead of apologizing and telling her I didn't want this, I lashed out again… this time, against HER! I slammed the door behind me, took off and never looked back." The griffon put her head on the table. "I was such a big idiot…"

"Hey, stupid things happen," Daring tried to comfort her. "I mean, I'm not the most sociable pony either. For the longest time, I thought others would only slow me down and be a risk. A risk for both me and them. What I'm trying to say, doing the right thing is not always easy. At least you calmed down enough to come back and try to patch things up, didn't you?"

"I wanted to," Gilda grumbled. "But every time I approached Dash's house, I got cold feet and backpedaled. I wanted to make things right again, I even wanted to apologize, if I had to, but every time I thought that Dash might say the same thing again… might reject me again… so I always fled." In her frustration, Gilda punched the table a couple of times. "Some tough griffon I can if I can't even face my friend… But then, one time when I flew away from Dash's house again, Fluttershy saw me. She could tell I wasn't feeling so well and asked me what was wrong. At first, I wanted to shout at her again and tell her to mind her own business. But shouting didn't help me a lot the last time I was here, huh? So I calmed myself and told her everything, even though I was certain she'd laugh at me once I was finished. But what did she do? She didn't laugh at me. She pitied me, which was still annoying. But more importantly, she invited me to join a group she has formed, for creatures who have trouble opening up and speaking with others about their problems. I told her I didn't want to join yet another club full of nothing but ponies, but she told me that many of the group members aren't really ponies at all. In the end, I figured I had nothing to lose and decided to give it a try. And you know what? It helped. Not enough to overcome my anxiousness of talking to Dash, but it still helped. So Fluttershy turned from one of the ponies that bothered me the most to a close friend. But now? Now she's gone. And I couldn't even help her." Another frustrated punch against the table.

"But after all of this… shouldn't you be glad to be her sage?" Daring wondered.

"It's not that," Gilda said. "It came as a big surprise, but I really don't mind helping Flutters, Dash and their friends with whatever they are doing. Maybe that'll help them forgive me for what I did. So no, it's not about being a sage. It's about this stupid cutie mark!"

"What's wrong with it?"

"First of all, I'm not even a pony! I shouldn't have a cutie mark in the first place. Everyone is going to look at me and treat me like a freak. I mean, just look at it! A pink crystal butterfly necklace… so uncool and girly…"

"If that's all you're worried about, you can calm down," Daring said. "You can make the sage mark disappear anytime." She pulled her dress away and showed her cutie mark to Gilda, making sure she was the only one to see it. The cutie mark then switched back and forth between being a lightning bolt necklace and her regular compass cutie mark, each time accompanied by a shimmer of light. "See? The sage marks aren't there forever. It would be pretty devastating for a pony to have her own cutie mark removed or replaced. But as you can see, my own is still there. I just got a second one in addition. I bet you can make yours go away just as easily."

"I… I can?" Gilda asked. She looked back at her own flank and willed the sage mark of kindness to disappear. And certain enough, it worked. "It worked!" Gilda shouted excitedly. "It worked! Take that, girly mark!"

Daring snickered. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Well, at least a lot more relieved," Gilda said. She then looked down again. "But I'm still angry at myself for not being able to help Fluttershy…"

Suddenly, Rainbow came running in. "Hey, you two! Twilight got some reinforcements from the princesses, as well as a hint where Fluttershy might be. So stop moping and get moving!"

"Looks like you got another chance," Daring told Gilda with a wink. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready for more action." She ran past Dash and outside.

Gilda nodded, but instead of following her, she turned around to face Rainbow. "Hey, Dash… about what happened between us…"

"No need to say anything, G," Rainbow said. "Fluttershy needs our help, and if you're willing to go save her, that's enough for me to see that you've changed." She raised her right wing and looked at her old friend with a smirk.

If there had been any doubt within Gilda, it disappeared as soon as she heard those words. So she returned the smirk, accepted the wing high five and shout: "All right, G and Dash are back together to save their friend, so you better look out, world!"

"That's the Gilda I remember!" Rainbow grinned. "Come on, last one to Twilight's library is a rotten dragon's egg!" And she took off, dashing through the door.

"Hey, no fair, dude!" Gilda shouted laughing. "Come back here!"

* * *

Applejack, Pinkie and Darunia were just arriving at town square, when they saw Apple Bloom and Saria running past them. "Whoa, hold it there, shrimps," Darunia chuckled. "Where are you two off to in such a hurry?"

"Oh, hello, Darunia," Saria stopped and greeted her fellow sage. "Sorry, I didn't see you there. We were just at Zecora's and she gave us this brew that might help us."

Applejack frowned at her sister. "Young filly, what did I tell you about going into the Everfree without supervision?"

"But I had supervision!" Apple Bloom protested. "Saria was with me all along, right?"

"You don't need to worry, Applejack," Saria said. "I've been here for only a short time, but I already know my way around these woods."

"What's this potion you got?" Pinkie asked as she looked at the brew inside the bottle the Kokiri was carrying. "Looks pretty pink and bubbly… reminds me of something, or maybe somepony. Hmmm…" She scratched her head.

"Celestia knows who that might be," Applejack smirked as she looked at her pink, bubbly friend. "But seriously, what kind of zebra mumbo-jumbo did Zecora put in this here bottle?"

"It's a sedative potion, helpful to calm Fluttershy down when she's in her feral state of mind," Saria explained. "Apple Bloom told me how you calmed her down last time with those mirrors, but that only worked because you were able to set them up in Sweet Apple Acres. I doubt you'll be able to carry several big mirrors along with you where we're going. So all we need to do is somehow make her ingest this potion, and Twilight will be able to do her spell to turn her back to normal."

"That sounds like a good plan," Darunia said.

"What do you mean, where we're going?" Applejack asked. "Do you know where Fluttershy is?"

"Oh, you don't know yet?" Saria asked. "Twilight told us all to come to the library because she has a new lead. We're on our way there now."

"We?" Applejack looked at Apple Bloom. "The only way you're going is right back home, missy!"

"But Applejack, I can help," Apple Bloom said. "The other crusaders and I helped in the desert, didn't we? And Mom said we could come and help."

"Well, Mom's not here at the moment, so I'm in charge. And I think that somepony should stay home with Big Mac and Granny Smith while Mom and I are both gone."

"Fine…" the filly muttered reluctantly. "But you owe me ice cream once you come back."

"One big sundae, just for yerself, it's a promise," Applejack grinned. "Now run along."

Apple Bloom nodded and ran home, while the other four made their way to the library, which was a bit more crowded than usual. Even though Link, Epona and Zelda had still not returned from Hyrule, there were still Twilight, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Gilda, Daring Do, Rarity, Ruto, Impa and to Applejack's surprise, also a small group of bat ponies.

"What's the deal, purplesmart?" Gilda asked impatiently. "Got any new lead on where Flutters is?"

Both Impa and the bat ponies frowned upon hearing the griffon's nickname for the princess, but Twilight herself didn't seem to be bothered by it. "According to these helpful Nocturnals, she and the demon lord, Ghirahim, are in the Diamond Mountains."

"Diamond Mountains?" Rarity gasped. "But that's diamond dog territory. Whatever would sweet, darling Fluttershy be doing there?"

"You have to remember that this isn't sweet, darling Fluttershy anymore," Ruto said. "She turned into a beast… a quite vicious one, as I learned the hard way."

"Our scouts reported an increase in the local diamond dog mining and digging activities," Night Glide said. "And they are accompanied by monsters we have never seen before in our lives,,, obviously creatures from Hyrule, brought here by Ghirahim. And they seem to be working hand in hand. They are building something… something big."

"And you're sure Fluttershy is there?" Spike asked.

"Excuse me, but who are you anyway?" Applejack asked.

"This is Commander Night Glide," Twilight explained. "Leader of the Nocturnal forces that Princess Luna assigned to work with me… also, she is Fluttershy's mother."

"Say WHAT?" Rainbow Dash gasped. She wasn't the only one. All around, her friends looked at Twilight and the bat pony commander with shock and awe. "Fluttershy's mom is a bat pony Night Guard COMMANDER? Why didn't she ever tell me about this?"

"My daughter doesn't like to talk about her family," Night Glide said. "But this is not what we're here to discuss. Yes, we are sure my daughter is there, because my scouts watched her and Ghirahim fly towards the mountains. Also, we have someone who can confirm it." She turned towards the door and shouted: "Lieutenant, bring in the prisoner!"

One of the other bat ponies came in, pushing a diamond dog into the room. A diamond dog whose arms were tied behind his back, and whose face seemed awfully familiar to two of them.

"Rover!" both Ruto and Gilda shouted.

"What happened? What did they do to you?" Ruto asked.

"You better let him go right now, fang face, or I'll smack you one!" Gilda snarled.

"Whoa there, G! Heel!" Rainbow shouted.

"We managed to capture this diamond dog at the edge of their territory," Night Glide said. "Since his kind was seen helping the enemy, he was captured for interrogation."

"Please ponies, Rover not your enemy," the diamond dog whined. "Diamond dogs not enemies, diamond dogs friends!"

"Friends? Yeah, right," Spike huffed. "You guys kidnapped Rarity so she would bury up gemstones for you."

"Yes, but Rover wanted to change," Rover said. "Winged yellow pony says stealing is bad, so Rover and friends don't steal anymore. But then bad demon pony came and hurt diamond dogs… says diamond dogs need to work if they want to live. Diamond dogs now work as slaves… please help us!"

"And why should we believe you, runt?" Night Glide glowered.

"Please, I know this diamond dog," Ruto said. "He is one of Fluttershy's friends and would never do anything to hurt her. I think he's telling the truth… please let him go."

Night Glide narrowed her eyes. "If you think I'll just let a prisoner of war escape like that…"

"Are you doubting the word of a Sage of Hyrule?" Impa asked.

Night Glide took a closer look at Ruto. "You are a Sage of Hyrule?"

"Yes, I am," Ruto nodded. "I am Princess Ruto of the Zoras, and the Sage of Water. And I swear to you on my honor as a sage and a princess, that this dog is not your enemy."

"Yes, please listen to fish-pony," Rover pleaded. "Rover good, Rover friend!"

Night Glide thought about it. "Well… my daughter has the strange habit of making friends with all kinds of unusual creatures… very well. Lieutenant… untie him!"

"Oh thank you, thank you!" Rover shouted as his bonds were untied.

"Not bad, fish sticks," Gilda said, visibly impressed with Ruto.

"Now, can you tell everything that happened, Rover?" Twilight asked. "What did they do with Fluttershy?"

Rover whimpered. "Bad demon pony made her his… pet."

* * *

The Flutterbat hissed in appreciation as her master threw her another rat. She quickly sucked out all of the rodent's blood, stilling her hunger for now.

Ghirahim laughed as he was sitting on his seat made out of diamonds. "Very good, my pet. Feed! I need you to be strong to be my loyal bodyguard. Your silly little friends wouldn't dare lift a hoof against you."

He then stood up and looked over the construction site in front of him. On top of the highest peak in the mountain range, the diamond dogs were digging and building. A huge, black tower was constructed here, a palace of magnificence that would be Equestria's new seat of power as soon as Ghirahim's master was unleashed upon this world. "Work faster, you mangy mongrels!" Ghirahim shouted. "Servants, show these worthless slaves what happens to those who defy orders by slacking off!"

The goblin-like creatures that guarded the working diamond dogs screeched at their master's command and started poking their slaves with spears or hitting them with whips. A huge, bulky creature that looked more like an ogre pushed one small diamond dog that had dared to take a break into the dirt with a growl. All over the construction side, the Bokoblins and Moblins made sure that the work continued.

"Pitiful creatures," Ghirahim muttered. "Like any of the weak races inhabiting this world. The only real concern I have are its rulers. If they attack us now… Ah, but why am I worrying? I have my master's powers at my side, and even the princesses wouldn't dare to hurt one of their precious little ponies." He laughed as he looked back at the Flutterbat, who was still busy sucking blood.

While the feral beast was happy to finally be able to feed, in the farthest corner of her mind, Fluttershy could only grieve over what she was doing to the little rat's lifeless body in her grasp. She knew all too well that nature was not always as kind as she was and that a lot of her animals friends fed on other woodland critters… but even though she had long ago accepted that, she would have never harmed a living being on her own. Even back when the changelings attacked, she was reluctant to fight them.

'I have done things I am ashamed of,' she thought to herself. 'I lost control of my temper, even insulted my friends on multiple occasions. I've always been afraid of becoming a monster. But now… I truly am a monster.' If she was in control of her body, she would have wept. 'I am so sorry, little one… the only thing I can do is to make sure that each and every single death of you and your friends will be as quick and painless as possible…'


	33. Hyrule or Equestria?

Shortly after Ganondorf and Twinrova had left, Zelda brought us to her chambers to recuperate… and to discuss our next steps. To be honest, I was at a loss. Ghirahim was loose in Equestria, and now Hyrule was in danger because of Ganondorf's release from his prison. I wasn't the only one to feel discouraged, I could see it in their faces.

Then the door opened and we saw Nabooru and a Gerudo girl I've never seen before. "Nabooru, are you okay?" Zelda looked with worry at the spirit sage's swollen and slightly blue-tinged leg as she walked into the princess' chamber, supported by her clanswoman.

"I'm fine," Nabooru said, but winced a moment afterwards. "Stupid ice witch caught me off guard… it's okay, I can walk. I did fight them after freeing myself, didn't I?"

"Well, if you say so," the Gerudo girl shrugged and let her go. Right away, Nabooru let out a gasp and started to wobble, prompting the girl to take hold of her once again.

"I thought so, that surge of power came from your capabilities as a sage, Lady Nabooru," she said. "But now that the battle is over, you need to rest."

"The battle is far from over," Link frowned. "Ganondorf is back… the situation has gone from bad to worse."

Zelda offered Nabooru a chair, in which she reluctantly sat down. "Damn it!" she swore. "I can't sit idly… not now that our biggest adversary has returned. I need to get to Gerudo Valley… warn my people not to fall for his lies again. I need to leave immediately…"

"Please sit down," Zelda said. "You are in no condition to travel."

"But we can't just sit here and do nothing!" Nabooru protested. "The people of Hyrule have to be warned!"

"Don't worry, I already took the necessary steps," Zelda said. "Messengers are on their way to the Gorons and Zoras as we speak. I wanted to ask you to approach your people, but I see now that you are in no condition to travel."

"Let me go," Link instantly volunteered. "I'm sure they will listen to me. I am an honorary Gerudo, after all."

"That only happened in the bad future we prevented from happening, remember?" I said.

"But what about the Kokiri?" Navi asked, her voice filled with worry. "They need to be warned too, right?"

"Well, I would have sent a messenger to Kokiri Forest, but I have the feeling the children of the forest are hesitant when it comes to welcoming outsiders in their home. And then there's the curse of the Lost Woods, Hylians normally never set foot into the forest because they are afraid to be turned into an undead. So I ask of you, Navi… would you go and inform them of the danger? I would have sent Saria, but we can't wait for her to return from Equestria."

"O-of course I'll go," Navi said, nervously, but determined at the same time. "I'll talk with Mido, he's in charge whenever Saria's gone."

"I'm sure the old knucklehead will make the right decisions," Link smirked. "They'll be fine… I'd be more worried about the Gerudo. They are Ganondorf's tribe after all. I think we should leave right away. The sooner, the better." He then turned and looked at me. "You're coming with me, right, Epona?"

That sure came out of nowhere. Under normal circumstances, I would have agreed on the spot to come with him. But now, things had changed a lot…

"I… I don't know, Link," I said. "I want to help you, but… what about my friends and family back in Equestria? They need my help too, remember? One of the element bearers has been captured by Ghirahim and my daughter is putting herself in danger all the time… I need to do the same. Equestria is my country as well. They need me… they need us! Without the Master Sword, what chances do we have of defeating Ghirahim? This is why we came to Hyrule in the first place, to get the Master Sword and go back and fight him with it."

Link sighed. "Epona, listen… I know this has to be difficult. But with Ganondorf's return, everything has changed. I can't travel to another kingdom, now that Hyrule is in danger. Ganondorf is just as bad as Ghirahim, probably even worse. We need the Master Sword here. I'm sorry, but we can't go back to Equestria now."

"What…" I whispered. "Link, you… you don't mean that, right? I know we have to inform the Gerudo and everything, but afterwards… you'll go back with me to Equestria, right? You promised them you'd be back…"

"Epona… what do you want me to do? Go with you and help them defeat Ghirahim? And then what? Most of the sages are still back in Equestria. Do you think the Hyrulean army can defeat Ganondorf? Do you think Zelda can do it, all on her own? Ganondorf has the Triforce of Power… the only reason we were able to defeat him is because we stood up against him with BOTH the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage. Do you know what happens if Ganondorf wins? Everything will have been in vain! The bleak future we witnessed will become a reality… everything will be destroyed, monsters will take over the whole land and darkness will spread. And this time, Zelda is not going to be able to hide as a Sheikah. And afterwards, do you think he'll be satisfied once he's conquered Hyrule? No, he will want to have more. The Sacred Realm, Termina, Equestria, no realm shall be safe from his lust for power. I CAN'T let that happen, Epona!"

I couldn't believe my own ears. Link, the brave and loyal defender of Hyrule, the savior of Termina, the ally of Equestria… willing to abandon his friends. I wanted to understand him, I wanted to realize that he was telling the truth… but I couldn't. Sure, I had this second life here on Hyrule, I had friends and I helped save it before… but that was before I remembered where I really came from. Equestria was my home… I had family there. I could not abandon them.

I slowly turned around. "I'm sorry, Link," I said. "But I can't let Ghirahim take over Equestria either. Do what you need to do to save Hyrule… but I won't help you this time around. I have my own world to save."

It tore my heart to pieces, having to say that to my friend. My partner. The hero I always admired. But I knew that abandoning my family would have been worse.

I didn't take another look at Link, but the disappointment and sadness in his voice were enough to see that he felt just as distraught as I did. "I see…" he said quietly. "Then I wish you the best of luck… Epona Apple."

I heard his footsteps as he turned around and left the room. The door closed behind him. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't even do that. Part of me wanted nothing more than to run out of that door, run after him and tell him I was sorry. But I couldn't. The damage had been done. I was not his partner anymore. I was just an outsider from another kingdom.

I turned to Zelda, who had followed this whole exchange without speaking up even once. The look on her face was one of sadness and even guilt.

"I thank you for everything you've done to help my own country, princess," I said, a heavy lump in my throat. "And I thank you for the offer of peace and friendship you have given to Equestria. But I cannot take up any more of your time… you have to prepare your country for an incoming war and have much bigger responsibilities than discussing treaties with a foreign country." I turned away from her. "Navi, send me back now."

I felt the princess' gentle hand on my shoulder. "Epona… please wait," she said softly.

"What for?" I gritted my teeth and lowered my head. "Why am I even here anymore? My whole life here was nothing but a lie. I'm not a horse, I'm not a Hylian and I'm most certainly not a native of Hyrule. I'm a pony… so I need to return home to ponykind. I have nothing left here…"

She gently touched my chin and turned my head around to look at her. "That's not true," she said. "You still have friends here. And no matter what happens between you and Link, I am sure he will always stay your friend. Forever!"

"But… but I just abandoned him!" Now the tears began to flow. "And he abandoned me… how can we call ourselves friends anymore after what just happened?"

"Life isn't always easy, Epona," Zelda sighed. "And you have to make some difficult decisions. Fate has put Link into the role of a protector of Hyrule. With the Triforce of Courage and the Master Sword both in his hands, he is the only one that can do it. But that doesn't mean he cares only for this one world. He told me all about his travels. Did he not save Termina, even though it was nothing but a parallel universe, a twisted mirror image of Hyrule? Did he not come with you and risk his life to save inhabitants of Equestria? Yes, he know he has to eventually confront Ganondorf and save Hyrule from his dark influence. But that doesn't mean he's going to abandon his friends and allies. He can't do it right now, but as soon as the crisis in Hyrule is over, I can assure you that he will come running at you side to help."

"But what if it's too late by then, princess?" I cried. "What if we need him now?"

"Do you really need him?" the Gerudo girl standing next to us asked. I looked at her with surprise. I had nearly forgotten that she and Nabooru were still in the room as well.

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.

The girl smiled. "What I said. I know Link is a brave hero and that he can overcome any odds to save the day… but he's not the only one of his kind, you know? How often has Equestria been in peril? And how often has it been saved by brave heroes? No, they didn't have the Hero of Time. But they have the Elements of Harmony, brave ponies that would do anything to save their world. They have four intelligent, wise and powerful princesses that love their subjects more than anything. And they have a lot of allies and friends, too. Having to deny help to a friend is a difficult task, but sometimes, it must be done. But even without Link at your side, you won't be alone. Ghirahim and Ganondorf know nothing of friendship, they scoff at it. And that's why they never win. As long as you stick together, you can always prevail."

I heard the girl's words and I knew them to be true. But at the same time, I felt overwhelmed, disoriented, confused. I felt more behind the smiling face of the girl than just the truth. I felt knowledge. Power. A wisdom even older than Hyrule itself. And it was all radiating from this one girl. Zelda, Nabooru and Navi must have felt it too, because I saw how they let out little gasps.

"Wh-what?" I stuttered. "Wh-who are you?"

Nabooru's eyes widened with realization. "You are not one of my tribe… are you?" she murmured.

The girl smiled. "No, I'm afraid not. But I'm still a friend. And I'm honored that I have been able to assist you on this day. Unfortunately, I must go now. But I will watch you from afar… as will my sisters." She opened the window and prepared to climb out.

"Wait!" Zelda raised a hand. "What's your name?"

The strange girl turned her head and winked at us. "You know my name, princess of Hyrule."

"I do…?"

She smiled. "My name is Din. It has been a pleasure, Princess Zelda."

And then, she was gone.

* * *

Shortly afterwards, Din reappeared in the goddesses' domain, which was invisible for the mortal eye. Her sister Nayru was welcoming her with a warm smile. "Back from your little trip to mortality, sister?"

Din grinned. "You should try it sometime, Nayru. It's so invigorating! Having to rely only on the constraints of your mortal body and your own wits and skills…"

"Did you have to tell them your true identity, though?" Nayru scolded with a slight frown.

Din sighed. "If you ask me, this is what we should have done in the first place. Live alongside the inhabitants of Hyrule and guide them, instead of watching from above. Celestia and Luna seem to cope with it just fine. You are starting to sound like Farore, you know that?"

"Well, at least one of you two does," grumbled the green-haired goddess of courage, as she entered the scene. Both of her younger sisters looked towards her with sheepish smiles on their faces.

"Oh, hello Farore," Nayru said.

"What have you been up to?" Din added with a grin.

Farore shook her head. "Honestly, you two… we made an oath not to meddle and now look at what you're doing. What would father say if he knew what you are doing?"

"I'm sure father would understand," Nayru said. "Mother doesn't seem to mind the meddling."

"Yeah, she does it all the time," Din nodded. "But I mean it, where were you?"

"Speaking with that incorrigible daughter of mine," Farore sighed. "Looks like mother talked her and that pet angel of hers into assisting her with something she should not be doing."

"Look at it like this, at least she isn't dropping reset bombs on humanity anymore," Din said with a wink. "That's an improvement, wouldn't you think?"

"A goddess of nature should act with dignity and restraint," Farore said. "And mortals will never learn on their own if we keep intervening with their worlds."

"All mother is doing is keeping the balance," Nayru said softly. "As do we. Ganondorf's powers and the forces behind Ghirahim are beyond the capability of a mere mortal. And Equestria and Hyrule are connected, as much as you want to deny it. They can only survive if they work together against the looming darkness. And if that means we have to enter the battlefield ourselves, then so be it!"

"There's no stopping you two in this, is there?" Farore muttered. "Even Celestia started showing signs of remorse… fine, do as you wish. But don't expect me to clean up your mess afterwards."

"You worry too much, sister," Din said. "What's the worst a little meddling can cause?"

* * *

"Link! You're back!" Malon put down the bucket she was using to feed the cows and welcomed her tunic-wearing friend with a warm hug. "How was your trip? Did you see the pony world? Oh, you've got to tell me everything!"

Link returned the hug and hesitantly replied: "Hey, Malon… listen, I don't have much time. I need to get to Gerudo Valley as fast as possible. Can you lend me one of your horses?"

"What would you need another horse for?" Malon wondered. "Don't you have Epona? Oh, that's right… you can't possibly ride on her anymore, my bad. But sure, you can take Amadeus. He's a bit stubborn, but also the fastest steed we have. But you don't look so good, did something happen?" Worry started to show on her face. "Did something happen to Epona?"

"Epona is… fine. Listen, Malon, this is serious. Close off the farm entrance as soon as I left and don't let anyone in. Lock the animals away and hide until I come back and tell you it's safe to come out again."

"But why, what happened?"

Link grimaced. "Ganondorf is back…"

Malon let out a small gasp of surprise and covered her mouth with her hands in fright. "By the goddesses… but how?"

"It's a long story… but I want you to be safe. As I said, don't let anyone in and don't trust anyone. Ganondorf has a way of luring people over to his side. And…" He took a quick glance outside, where he saw Ingo repairing the fence. "I'd keep a close look on Ingo, if I were you."

* * *

Ingo looked up from his work and grinned like an idiot. "Well, hello there, beautiful! How can the amazing Ingo be of service to a fine woman such as you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Can it, Ingo!" I grumbled. "I'm not in the best mood… Just tell me where Link and Malon are."

He looked up at me in confusion. Even though I wasn't a horse anymore, I was almost a head taller than him. "Excuse me, but do I know you?" he asked while scratching his head.

I groaned. "Look, just tell me where they are, okay?"

"Um, they're in the barn…"

"Finally," I grunted and pushed him out of the way. I could never stand that guy.

I heard him mutter to himself as I approached the barn: "What a woman…" What a creep…

I entered the barn and saw the two of them packing the saddlebags of Amadeus, one of the farm's stallions. Malon looked at me in confusion as I entered, but Link just gave me a frown and continued packing.

"Yes, can I help you?" Malon asked. I couldn't help but smile when I saw her. Aside from Link, she was the closest friend I had during the years I spent here in Hyrule. And it reminded me that I would be leaving something behind if I decided to stay in Equestria.

"It's me, Epona," I said. "I look a bit different from what you're used to, though."

"Epona?" Her eyes widened with amazement and then happiness. "Welcome back," she said as she hugged me. She then looked up. "Wow, you're tall! You silly filly…" she then chuckled. "Can't you stay in one shape for once?"

"That's nothing compared to the many changes Link went through when he was in Termina," I smirked.

Link still didn't look at me. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to be on your way back to Equestria?"

"I was about to," I said. "But then Navi reminded me that there are still friends I need to say goodbye to… this might be my last visit to Hyrule in a very long time."

"Fine. Then say goodbye to Malon and leave already."

I walked up towards him. "I'm not just talking about Malon," I said. "Link, you are my friend. More than that, you are my partner. I never wanted you to be mad at me."

"Well, you certainly acted like it back at the castle," he muttered. "You made your decision. You want to go back to Equestria and help your pony friends. What else is there to say?"

I wrapped my arms around him from behind. Link froze in his actions, my hug certainly seemed to surprise him. "I'm sorry for what I said. And I don't want to leave you on bad terms," I said, resting my head on his shoulders. "Equestria is my home, and I need to help protect it. It pains me to leave you behind… but I can't help you at the moment. I wish I could, honestly. I just… I don't want you to stay mad at me. And… I want to wish you every bit of luck. Against Ganondorf, you'll need it."

For a moment, he stayed silent. Malon looked at us from the sidelines, her face full of hope that we would make up and be friends again. Finally, Link sighed and turned around. "I'm sorry too… I should have known how difficult it is for you, torn between two worlds."

I smiled. "We're a pair of stubborn idiots, aren't we?"

"We sure are," he smirked. "Go on… go home and help your friends and family. They need you. While I'm needed here. And Epona… no matter what happens and how long it might take for us to meet again… know that I'll always be your friend."

"Yeah, me too," I nodded. "Good luck out there… partner."

"Awwww, that's soooooo sweet!" Malon gushed.

"Way to kill the moment, Malon," I sighed. "But what I told him goes for you, too… you're my friend, always. Stay safe here, okay?"

"Oh, I most certainly will," she said. "Big old mean Ganondorf is not going to get his hands on our horses this time around. Have a safe trip home, Epona. And say hello to your friends from me."


	34. Preparing for War

As Ghirahim sat on his seat, looking over the construction site of his tower, a dark shadow fell over his face. He looked up at the figure in the black cloak standing behind him.

"Ah, minion." the demon lord said in a good mood. "What do you have to report?"

"Construction is proceeding at a slow, but steady rate, my lord," the figure said in an eerie, raspy voice. "Eventually, the tower will be finished, but much later as we anticipated."

"Ah, that is too bad," Ghirahim sighed. "I wish I could have put the next step in my plans into motion from my new seat of power."

"Shall I assign more taskmasters to improve the slaves'… morale?" the servant asked.

"No, I don't want to weaken my troops just to whip a few more slaves into submission," Ghirahim said. "At worst, the tower will be finished after my master sets foot onto this world. Just make sure to finish the summoning circle as fast as possible. And maybe cut the dog's rations in half… maybe that will improve their motivation."

"As you command, my lord," the cloaked figure nodded. Ghirahim levitated a glass of wine from the small table next to his seat to his lips and took a sip, expecting the minion to leave him in peace. But the dark shadow was still upon him. "Is there anything else?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"Yes, my lord," the servant nodded. "You said you wanted to be informed as soon as our eye in the sky reaches its destination near the cloud city."

"Eye in the… oh, I get it. Very funny, minion!" The demon lord chuckled. "Good, then give him the order to attack immediately."

"Right now, my lord?"

"Yes, right now!" Ghirahim narrowed his eyes. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, my lord. I just wanted to point out that the last monster you sent was defeated by a much smaller group of ponies. My advice would be to send some reinforcements."

"Are you questioning my judgement on this one, minion?" Ghirahim said in a dangerously low voice.

"I would never dare to attempt such a thing," the servant said, lowering his head. "I merely wanted to ensure victory for our dark master by sending in my swarm to assist the eye."

"Hmmm, might not be a bad idea," Ghirahim pondered. "I still want to hold back sending in any of the Bokoblin and Moblin troops… especially since they would be pretty much worthless in a city made of clouds they can't even walk on. Absurd Equestrian laws of nature… Very well, you may send in your little pets. Oh, and take my newest pet with you. It will give her something to do, and seeing her in action for the first time should be pretty entertaining." He snapped his fingers, and the Flutterbat looked up from the spot where it was lying on the floor.

Ghirahim pointed at the cloaked figure. "Go with him. Do whatever he commands you to do, as if I were the one giving the commands. Oh, and feel free to satisfy your hunger on any living creature you come upon during your mission."

The Flutterbat hissed obediently.

* * *

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were playing a game of hide-and-seek, when the skies over Sweet Apple Acres were suddenly darkened by a flock of bat ponies that were on their way to Ponyville.

"Woooooow…" Apple Bloom said in awe as she stuck her head out of the barrel she was hiding in and watched how the first row of the flock began to descend and land on an empty plain close to the orchard. "I've seen bat ponies pull Princess Luna's chariot on Nightmare Night, but never this many at once. Have you, girls?"

"Nope," Scootaloo said, shaking her head. "Found you, by the way."

"Oh, come ooooonnn!" Apple Bloom shouted. "That so didn't count!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"That looks amazing," Sweetie Belle said as she crawled out of a bush and, like Apple Bloom, watched the landing of the bat ponies. "The way they're flying… sure makes you wish you could fly just like them, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…" Scootaloo muttered. "I wish…"

"Oh… I mean…" Sweetie blushed. "I didn't mean it like that, Scootaloo."

"It's okay," the pegasus filly sighed. "I'm not that upset about it anymore. And who knows, maybe I just need a bit more time than others."

"Wow, being in Fluttershy's group really helped you," Apple Bloom said.

Scootaloo nodded. "I just wish there's something I can do… we can do to help her."

"Yer not thinking of what I'm thinking, are ya?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I dunno… does it involve sneaking after Rainbow Dash and the others when they set out to help Fluttershy?" Scootaloo smirked.

"I don't know, girls," Sweetie Belle sighed. "I really think we should sit this one out. Applejack is right, we're not that big of a help when it comes to fighting bad guys."

"But we beat up Ahuizotl!" Scootaloo shouted. "The big bad of all the Daring Do books! Doesn't that count?"

"Sure we did, but… in the end, he was just a big wimp, wasn't he? And he doesn't have any sort of magic. And this evil unicorn guy seems to be pretty powerful. And what can I do so far? Levitate a broom…"

That's when I decided to jump in. "You know, it's good to see that you girls want to be responsible, but that doesn't mean you should sell yourselves short," I said. "You are young, you've still got a lot of potential to discover."

Surprised, they turned around to look at me.

"Ah! It's a monster!" Sweetie Belle shouted.

"A Diamond Dog without a tail!" Scootaloo shouted.

"A furless Sasquatch!" Apple Bloom shouted.

Oh, right… I still was in my Hylian form. I almost forgot about that. And the three fillies had never seen me like this before. "Take it easy, it's just me," I sighed.

"Mom?" Apple Bloom asked. "Yer looking pretty weird."

"That's what the inhabitants of Hyrule look like," I told them. "At least most of them. And I don't blame you for not recognizing me. But I thought I taught you better than to call any creature you've never seen before a monster," I scolded. "You've met Ruto and Darunia, right? And they are no monsters."

"Yeah, but at least they kind of resemble ponies… they walk on four legs and everything," Scootaloo said. "This is just… weird."

"I'll go to Twilight right away and ask her to take away the enchantment," I said. "I just heard you talking about the bat ponies." I looked up at the swarm that was still busy landing, one wave after another. "Are they all on our side?"

"I think so," Apple Bloom nodded. "I saw some of them when Princess Luna visited Ponyville. I never knew so many of them existed. Looks like they're on their way to the library."

"Well, then I guess I better head there, too," I said. "See you later, girls… and try not to worry too much. We grownups got everything under control."

* * *

The front lawn of the Ponyville library looked a lot different from the last time I saw it. Bat pony troops were standing around everywhere, a big table filled with battle plans, marching orders and strategic maps was standing in front of the door and one soldier was handing out weapons of all kind. The ponies of Ponyville were gazing at the spectacle with bewilderment. One or two even tried to come closer to get a better look, but they were held back by the troops. As for me, the soldiers looked at me skeptically, but once I told them who I was, they agreed to take me to their commander, who was standing at the table, together with Princess Twilight and the other Element Bearers… minus Fluttershy, of course.

My daughter was there as well, of course. I saw her and Rarity take some weapons out of a crate and experimentally lift them up with their mouths and hooves.

"Is this really what we should use in battle?" Rarity asked with a frown as she hefted a hand axe with her magic. "Seems awfully uncivilized. I'd rather not get my hooves dirty…"

"That's not what you said when you kicked that manticore in the face, Rarity," Applejack chuckled. "I betcha it still as a pair of hoof prints on his face even today."

Rarity coughed in embarrassment. "W-well, it seemed appropriate at the time… I still think some finesse helps a lot more than brutish strength."

"Feel free to do what you wanna do, partner," Applejack replied with a smirk. "As for me, I can imagine it must feel mighty good to smash some monsters with this here thing." And she picked up a huge war hammer.

"Good choice of weapon, sister-in-arms," Darunia smirked. "This weapon reminds me of the ancient Goron weapon of legend. I would wield it myself… but alas, Link has it in his possession right now."

"If you ask me, Rarity got it right," I said as I stepped onto the scene. "You can always trust your bare hooves in battle. I just wish I had mine back already."

"Mom, yer back!" Applejack looked up at me with joy and relief. "That was fast… how did it go in Hyrule? Where's Link? Didn't he come back with ya?"

My heart sank a bit as soon as Link was mentioned. Even though he and I reconciled, it was still a touchy subject. "Let's just say things didn't turn out so well…" I said. I decided not to tell them about Ganondorf just yet. There was no need of worrying them with even more bad news… and Ganondorf was probably not even interested in Equestria. All he ever wanted were Hyrule and the Triforce, right?

"But what about Link? Didn't he want to help us with that magical sword thingamajig of his?" Applejack asked.

"He… has some matters that need to be handled back at home," I said. "He'll come after me as soon as those are handled." While I tried to sound convincing, I wasn't exactly able to reassure myself.

"I'm sorry to hear this, but I'm still glad you're back," Twilight said as she came over from the war table. "I assume you would like to be turned back into your pony form now, right?"

"Yes, if you please," I nodded. "It was interesting for a trip to Hyrule, but I'd rather be in my old body while I'm here."

"Just a moment…" Twilight concentrated and her horn started glowing. A short moment of uncomfortable feelings crawling over my skin, and I found myself back on four hooves.

"Good to have ya back, Mom," Applejack smiled as she gave me a quick nuzzle.

"It's good to be back," I said as I returned the gesture. "But I see a lot has happened while I was gone… what are all those bat ponies doing here?"

"We are here on order of Princess Luna," the commander said as she stepped next to Twilight. "The enemy is gathering a huge amount of troops and resources in the Diamond Dog territory, so we need to be prepared for everything."

"Yeah, good thing I polished my party cannon for the occasion," Pinkie Pie said as she pushed a colorful cannon onto the scene.

"Miss Pie… I doubt the enemy will be impressed by shots of confetti and streamers," the bat pony frowned.

"To Pinkie's defense, it worked wonders in the battle against the changelings, Commander Night Glide," Twilight snickered. "Don't ask me how it works, though. I don't really understand it… It defies all scientific logic."

Applejack shrugged. "No need to understand anything. It's Pinkie Pie, enough said."

"So, what's the situation?" I asked as I took a quick glance at the battle plans. I really didn't understand half of the things I saw.

"The enemy hasn't made its move yet," Night Glide explained. "The mountains they dwell in are guarded here, here and here." She pointed at a few spots on the map. "I say our best bet is to strike first, so we can get the element of surprise."

"Hey, that should be my element!" Pinkie shouted suddenly. "The Element of SURPRISE! Doesn't that sound sooo much better than Laughter? On the other hoof, I do love to make my friends laugh… hmmmmm… choices, choices…"

Night Glide rolled her eyes. "Could we stay on topic? Princess, you have three squadrons of the Nocturnal army at your command. Squadron A is right in front of you, they will lead the attack. Squadron B is the flank squad, they will attack from the sides after the battle has commenced. And then there's Squadron C, the stealth squadron."

"Where is Squadron C?" Twilight asked. "I can't see it anywhere."

The commander smirked. "That's why they are the stealth squadron.

"Oh… right. What else?"

"Well, if you are attacking the enemy's stronghold, I want to be part of it," I said. "I am battle experienced and I have the right to defend Equestria as well."

Night Glide frowned. "You are not part of the military."

"So? Neither are we," Applejack said, pointing at herself and her friends. "In fact, we have much less battle experience than my mom here."

"But you are the Element Bearers, you are a special case… never mind," Night Glide sighed.

"She is a special case as well," Impa intervened. I almost didn't notice she was present, too. "She is the companion of the Hero of Time. Excuse us for a moment…" She looked at me and tilted her head towards the door. I guess she wanted to speak to me in private.

"Um, of course," I said. "I'll be right back."

I followed her inside. I could already tell what she wanted. As soon as I closed the door, I looked at her. "I guess you're wondering what happened in Hyrule."

"Yes. Princess Zelda promised we would assist our new allies with the Master Sword against Ghirahim. It is not her to break her word. So what happened?"

"More or less the worst possible thing," I sighed. "Twinrova released Ganondorf from his prison and they escaped to Gerudo Valley."

Impa uttered a curse in the native language of her tribe. "The situation is getting worse by the minute," she grumbled. "You know I cannot stay behind and help in the fight under these circumstances, right? I need to get back to assist Princess Zelda."

"But she gave you the order to stay with Princess Twilight, didn't she?" I asked.

"Yes, but… she did that back when she had no reason to believe that Ganondorf would be back. I have to get back to Hyrule… I'm sorry to put it this way, but the safety of my own world comes first. I'm sure you understand that."

I understood only too well. "Very well," I said. "Go ahead and help them. At least that means I know there's one warrior more who helps Link. And what about the other sages?"

"It is their duty to use their powers to protect Hyrule," Impa said. "But I can't force them to come… if any of them decide to stay here and help, it's their decision. I'm still going to tell them."

"Just don't tell Princess Twilight and her friends about Ganondorf yet," I said. "We have enough troubles on our hooves as it is. And we have a battle to focus on."

"All right, but don't wait too long with telling them," Impa said. I nodded and went back outside.

"Sorry about that," I said as I arrived back at the war table. "What did I miss?"

"We were just going through the final steps," Twilight said. "Rarity was in Canterlot while you were gone and asked some of her contacts if there was any way they could support this fight."

"It was Fancy Pants who contacted the armorer's shop and helped deliver all these weapons," Rarity said. "He will also take care of sending supplies to the front lines."

"That's one problem off our back," Night Glide said. "What about support troops?"

"I sent a letter to Princess Celestia and asked her if she was going to send the royal guard as well," Twilight said. "But didn't get an answer yet. But Rainbow Dash went to Cloudsdale to ask if the Wonderbolts were willing to assist. She hasn't come back yet…"

A bat pony sergeant then stepped up to us. "Commander? I have a couple of individuals here who said they wanted to speak to the princess. Apparently, they've been sent from Canterlot."

"Finally, some reinforcements," Night Glide said with relief. "Where are they?"

"Right here, Commander!" The sergeant stepped aside to reveal… a whole of four ponies standing behind them. A pair of pegasi, an earth pony and a unicorn, to be precise.

Night Glide narrowed her eyes. "Only four? Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?"

"No joke, ma'am," the white pegasus stallion said as he stepped forth with a salute. "I'm Captain White Wing and this is my team… Princess Celestia sent us to assist in whatever way possible. These are Light Beam, Splinterhoof and, um…"

"Sparky!" the female pegasus next to him said with a smirk.

"Well… if Princess Celestia says you are enough, then I have faith in you," Twilight said, ignoring Pinkie Pie's chuckling at the pegasus' name. "Will you join the Nocturnal forces when they attack the enemy?"

"I suppose they can assist Squadron B," Night Glide muttered.

"Sure, we can do that," Captain White Wing nodded.

"Just one question, princess," I said. "How are they going to do that? I mean, they have two pegasi, but what about the unicorn and the earth pony? How are they going to join up with a flying squadron?"

"Hey, you worry about yourself, got it?" the female earth pony Splinterhoof grumbled.

Light Beam the unicorn mare gave her companion a slight nudge. "What my friend wanted to say is that we'll find a way to help. We won't stay in anypony's way."

"For now, I guess only… Sparky… and me will join the attack," White Wing said.

"You drag us all the way here just to leave us behind?" Splinterhoof shouted. "No way, I've come here for some action and I will get it!"

"That's no way to talk to a superior officer, soldier!" Night Glide snapped. "You have your orders."

Splinterhoof looked like she wanted to throw an insult into Night Glide's face, but Light Beam quickly put her hoof in front of the earth pony's mouth. "And she'll be happy to carry them out, ma'am," she said.

"I hope you'll be capable of keeping your soldiers in line, captain," Night Glide said. "We can't win this war with a disorganized army."

"Oh, no worries, commander," White Wing chuckled. "She's just a bit cranky because she's bored."

Splinterhoof managed to shove Light Beam's hoof aside. "I'll show you who's cranky, you goose-feathered brat of an ang… mmmmmmph!" She flailed around as the unicorn's hoof was once again in front of her mouth.

"Um, give me a moment to calm her down," White Wing grinned sheepishly. "Won't take long…"

The pegasus and his team withdrew from the meeting, muttering to each other quietly. I couldn't understand everything that was said, but I clearly heard the captain say: "See? This is why I shouldn't be the leader…" What a group of weirdos.

"Is there anything else we need to discuss or can we start the attack already?" Ruto asked. "Who knows what Ghirahim is doing to Fluttershy while we're wasting our time here."

"Wouldn't you rather go back to Hyrule with the other sages?" I asked Ruto.

The Zora princess shook her head. "No. I know my people are waiting for my return, but I know they are strong and can take care of things without me. Also, Fluttershy is my friend and I let her down when that creep took her away… I won't let her down again."

"We still have to wait for Rainbow Dash to come back from Cloudsdale," Twilight said. "As soon as she's back, we can go and…"

"Look out below!" came the already familiar shout of a blue pegasus with a multi-colored mane as she came crashing down from the skies, into the war table.

"That was another crasheriffic landing, Dashie!" Pinkie smirked.

"Yeah," Applejack muttered. "But next time… could you maybe try not to land on top of me?"

Rainbow Dash didn't respond. She quickly jumped off Applejack's back and shouted: "Twilight! You guys! Quick, you have to come… it's Cloudsdale!" I could see the panic in her eyes.

"What? What's the matter with Cloudsdale? Weren't you just there?" Rarity wondered.

"Are the Wonderbolts coming to help or not?" Applejack asked.

"That's just it… they need our help first," Rainbow Dash said. "Cloudsdale is under attack by monsters! The Wonderbolts are doing their best to fight back the invaders, but they need help. So hurry!"

"It makes sense Ghirahim would want to take out anyone and anything that could oppose him," I said. "The Wonderbolts are Equestria's best flyers… so he's attacking Cloudsdale so they can't help us."

"Commander, we need to leave now," Twilight said. "Can you send your troops to Cloudsdale to assist the Wonderbolts as quickly as possible?"

"Right away, princess," Night Glide nodded. "Squadron A… Attack formation! To Cloudsdale!"

"I'll go with them and help," Rainbow Dash said. "I wanted to stay and fight, but somepony had to go and get help… and well, I am the fastest."

"I'll come along too," Twilight said. Then she turned to Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity and me. "You guys wait here. I'd like to perform the cloud walking spell on you so you can help as well, but we don't have enough time for that."

She had a point there. I was ready to fight everything that might threaten Equestria… but I was still unable to walk on clouds. So I had no choice but to leave this fight to them.

Just then, Sparky appeared next to us, followed by White Wing. "If you need some help, the captain and I are always ready to lend a helping hand."

"Hoof!" White Wing whispered.

Sparky nodded. "Right. That's what I meant. Hoof."

"We'll gladly accept your help," Twilight smiled. "Now, let's go!"

And Twilight, Rainbow, White Wing, Sparky, Night Glide and a whole squadron of Nocturnal soldiers took off into the skies, leaving the rest of us behind.

"Great, now I feel useless," I muttered.


	35. One Hero, two Advisors

"We are approaching Gerudo Valley," Link said as he rode through the cleft that lead towards the entrance of the West Hyrulean desert. Amadeus seemed a bit flustered at the high cliffs that rose up on both of their sides.

"Poor guy, looks like he isn't used to rocky terrain like this," Navi said as she soothingly stroked the stallion's mane. "Too bad Epona couldn't come with us…"

"She has her own problems in her own world right now," Link said. "I was mad at first, but I guess it's understandable. I would want to protect my family as well."

"Your family?" Navi asked as she looked up at him in surprise. During all their time together, Link had never talked about his own family, not even after the sprout of the Great Deku Tree had told him about his true heritage.

"Sure," Link smiled. "I never knew my real parents, but I grew up in the forest. In a way, the Kokiri are my family. Saria is like a sister to me, and you could say even Mido is something like an annoying older brother." He chuckled. "And then there's you and Epona. You are like family to me as well." He sighed. "I might never know what it's like to have a big family like Epona, but I still know that there are people out there that are important to me. So yes, I am fine with her doing her own thing at the moment."

"I'm just glad she doesn't hold a grudge against me anymore," Navi said. "I guess it just annoyed her a little that she had to share the spotlight of being the hero's companion." She giggled a bit.

They reached Gerudo Valley and the deep gorge that separated the desert from the rest of Hyrule. Navi looked ahead with a bit of worry. "Do you think we'll be able to cross the valley?" she asked. "I don't know if Amadeus is able to make such a long jump, like Epona did."

"Don't worry, I know for a fact that the bridge is fixed right now," Link said. "And even if it wasn't, I could have pulled myself across using the hookshot. Crossing the gorge will be no problem, you'll see."

But he noticed that he had spoken too soon as they approached the bridge leading over the gorge. The bridge was blocked by a heavy gate and three guards that stood in front of it. A pair of Gerudos with spears that glared at Link darkly as well as an imposing, heavily-armored figure that stood in-between them, holding a giant axe. Link felt a shiver going down his spine as he recognized the figure to be an Iron Knuckle, one of the monstrous warriors that had guarded the Spirit Temple and Ganon's Keep in the dark timeline he had fought so hard to prevent. He and Navi exchanged worried glances… had they come too late?

"Halt!" one of the Gerudos shouted as she lowered her spear. "No outsider is allowed to enter Gerudo lands… especially not you, Hero of Time!"

"Please, at least give me a chance to talk," Link said. "I am here to warn you. Ganondorf is…"

"We are very aware of the mighty Ganondorf's return," the second guard said. "A truly glorious day for all the Gerudo… except maybe for those traitors that chose to defy him."

"Are you saying you're willingly siding with Ganondorf?" Navi gasped. "Do you know what he's going to do to Hyrule?"

"Why are you doing this?" Link asked. "Your tribe had the start of a good relationship with the kingdom of Hyrule… your leader even became the Sage of Spirits."

"Wrong," the guard said coldly. "Nabooru is nothing but an outcast right now. We followed her because we had no choice… but now that the great Ganondorf has come back to guide us, we shall no longer be the royal family's lapdogs."

Link recognized the guard that spoke to him right now. It was Shia, a Gerudo who had always been jealous of Nabooru's position and who often had argued that she would lead the tribe into the wrong direction. It was no surprise to him that she would take this chance to side with Ganondorf. "I know there were members of your tribe that felt nothing but contempt towards Ganondorf," Link said. "What did you do with them? Chase them away?"

"They were… dealt with," Shia said, glancing to the Iron Knuckle that stood next to her silently. "Now I'm giving you a last warning… leave this place or face the wrath of our master!"

"You think we're afraid of you, you mean old…?" Navi began to shout.

But Link shook his head. "Let's just leave, Navi," he said. "It's not worth it." He turned Amadeus around and rode away.

"Good choice, Hero of Time!" Shia shouted after him. "Your time will come soon enough… the great Ganondorf will have his revenge!"

"Why did you leave, you easily could have taken them, right?" Navi asked as they were out of their hearing range.

"Shia and that other girl would have probably forced me to kill or at least seriously injure them," Link sighed. "My enemy is Ganondorf, not the Gerudo. Also, you saw how she looked at that Iron Knuckle when she mentioned the traitors, right? I don't have to remind you what they did to Nabooru in the other timeline…"

Navi's eyes widened. "You don't mean… that's a Gerudo inside that armor?"

"Transformed and brainwashed by Ganondorf's dark magic, no doubt," Link nodded. "We came too late… he already took over the Gerudo tribe. And he knows I won't be willing to kill them, just to reach him. The desert is blocked off, and that gives him enough time to gather his strength and prepare for a strike against Hyrule."

"Well then… we have to prepare as well," Navi said. "The princess is informing the Gorons and Zoras, and the sages will come back from Equestria soon. Conquering Hyrule will be much harder for Ganondorf this time around."

"I suppose that's right," Link said. He looked up into the sky, where the sun was slowly disappearing behind the horizon. "Let's put up camp here… we'll head back to Hyrule Castle tomorrow and plan our next steps with the princess."

* * *

During the night, something kept Link from falling asleep. He turned around on his sleeping mat and stared up at the starlit night sky. At first he thought it was just the uneasiness he felt because of Ganondorf and what he might plan. But the longer he thought about it, the more he realized that this was not it. After having fought for the safety and freedom of two different worlds and helping the inhabitants of a third world, finding some sleep because of some worries had never been his problem. However, he had the nagging feeling that he had to stay up this night… something or someone was waiting for him.

He looked down at Navi, who was snoozing peacefully in his cap. He contemplated waking her up, but then decided against it. There was no need to disturb her because of some uneasiness he felt. So he just lay back and waited for whatever was supposed to happen to happen.

Just when he thought there might be no reason to stay awake after all, he heard something… a strange voice that sounded unlike anything he had heard before. Sitting up and taking a look around, he saw a floating figure on top of a hill, just a short distance away from the camp. Link squinted his eyes. Was this a fairy? No, this was something else. Quietly, he got up from the ground to approach the figure… but then stopped to pick up the Master Sword. He didn't feel like he was in any sort of danger, but taking the blade along still felt appropriate.

Cautiously, he climbed up to the top of the hill, where the figure was waiting for him. The creature looked female, but had smooth, blue skin, a pointed head and smooth surfaces where her eyes were supposed to be. She was also enveloped in a flowing cloak. She then started speaking in that strange voice he had heard before. And even though he was certain she was not speaking Hylian, he was able to understand every word she said.

"I've been anticipating this moment, Master," she said. "I've been wanting to speak with you ever since you first touched the hilt of the Master Sword, but circumstances hindered me from doing so."

"Why?" Link said in a confused voice. "Who are you? And why are you calling me Master?"

"My name is Fi," the female figure introduced herself. "I am the spirit of the sword you have been holding ever since you opened the Door of Time. My duty is to assist and serve the rightful holder of the weapon, which was originally forged by my creator, the Goddess Hylia."

"Wait a minute… you are a spirit who lives in the Master Sword?" Link asked. "Are you a ghost or something? Did somebody seal you away?"

"You misunderstand, Master. I am the embodiment of the sword itself. As it is a tool of good, a weapon to purge evil, I am the servant of the one holding the hilt. I've had lots of Masters in the past, all of them from a long line of heroes that were destined to hold the Master Sword and aim it at those who threaten to cast darkness over the land."

"Wait, what? Are you trying to tell me that the Master Sword… is a living creature?" Link gaped at her.

"Not in the same sense you mortals call yourselves alive," Fi commented. "But I am aware of everything that is happening, and even though I must play my role and follow my Master's command, I am capable of thought and making decisions."

"That's amazing!" Link pulled the Master Sword out of its sheath and stared at it in awe. "I never knew… wait, so why didn't you tell me all of this sooner? Why only talk to me now?"

"I was frozen in a state of suspended animation, deep within the blade," Fi explained. "It is a position I put myself in willingly, knowing full well what this meant to me. It was to seal away a dark power that otherwise would threaten to destroy the world. I was forced to stay within the blade, always watching, never talking or coming forth. But through the powers of the sword, I've always been able to serve my masters, as I served you against the one they call Ganon, the man turned demon. But when he approached the Master Sword in the Temple of Time, it was in danger of being compromised by darkness, so my awareness was forcefully pulled out of sword to defend it."

"Wait a second," Link gasped. "That voice... and the Master Sword flying into my hand… that was you?"

"Correct, Master. Evil cannot touch this sword, but when a being with great power strikes it, it can break just like any other weapon."

"And Ganon has the Triforce of Power," Link muttered. "I understand. So… what does that change now? Is the Master Sword stronger or weaker, now that you are no longer trapped within?"

"No, the strength of the sword remains unchanged," Fi said. "However, there is a 20% chance that my reemergence might affect the sword in some way, giving it back some abilities it lost over time."

"That sounds interesting… what kinds of abilities?" Link asked.

"I shall instruct, teach and advise you to the best of my ability," Fi said. "As it is my duty. As long as you carry the title and responsibility of the Hero of Time, you shall be my master."

"Now wait just a darn minute!" somebody shouted, making Link flinch. It was Navi who was flying towards them.

"H-hey, Navi," Link said. "I didn't know you were up. For how long have you been listening?"

"Long enough," Navi frowned. "At least long enough to hear that this… thing… is trying to take my job!" Accusingly, she pointed a tiny finger at Fi. "I am your guardian fairy, Link. It is MY job to guide you and advise you. What do we need her for?"

"Your objection is noted, but ultimately irrelevant," Fi said in her monotone voice. "I am the spirit of the sword. The Hero of Time is fated to wield my blade in battle."

"Oh, he can wield you," Navi snorted. "But leave the guiding and giving helpful hints and tips to me. Link knew me since he was a child… we are friends. You are nothing but an accessory."

"Your statements are illogical," Fi said. "You claim to be his guardian fairy, yet he is not even a member of the Kokiri tribe. I am older than any living being of Hyrule, and my advice is going to improve his chance of success a considerate amount. At least by 34%, according to my last calculations."

"Link needs more than just calculations and hard facts to be a hero," Navi shouted. "He needs someone he can trust in. And I've got that covered. So why don't you crawl back into your sword and help by being swung around against monsters?"

Link was starting to get a headache. "Just what I needed…" he groaned. "Yet another jealous and possessive companion…"

* * *

"Come on, guys! Let's show those creeps that the Wonderbolts never give up!" Spitfire shouted, as she spearheaded the Wonderbolts' charge towards the enemy that was attacking Cloudsdale.

It was a giant, floating eyeball, surrounded by a swarm of smaller eyeballs, which in turn were surrounded by a layer of green, translucent slime. This was Vitreous, Ghirahim's 'eye in the sky'.

"Stupid eye, attacking while I was taking a nap," Soarin grumbled. "I had the nicest dream about this big apple pie…"

"That's just like you, slacking off while we were training," Fleetfoot smirked.

"Hey, I wasn't slacking off," Soarin protested. "I'm simply so good that I don't need that much training."

"Well, I guess it's time to put those great skills of yours to the test," Fleetfoot said.

"No more squabbling in the lines," Spitfire shouted. "Ready? Here they come!"

A group of smaller eyeballs had detached from Vitreous' main body and started floating towards the attacking Wonderbolts.

"Look out, everypony!" Spitfire shouted. "Evasive maneuvers!"

"Are you kidding? Those slimy soccer balls are barely a threat," Fleetfoot grinned. "I mean, what are they gonna do? Slime on us? Watch me as I take them out easily." She flew straight up and then nosedived directly at on of the small eyes.

"Fleetfoot, come back here!" Spitfire gasped. "That's an order!"

But the cocky daredevil didn't listen. She rammed her whole body into the eye, which caused it to explode in a gooey mess… covering her whole body with the slime that surrounded it.

Fleetfoot let out a scream of pain. "AAAAAAAH! It burns! It BURNS! Get it off! GET IT OFF!" She tried wiping the slime off her body, but the sticky substance clung to her like glue.

"Fleetfoot!" Spitfire shouted. "Soarin, catch her… but don't touch her body!"

"I've got it, boss," Soarin shouted as he dove down to intercept the falling Fleetfoot. On his way down, he quickly grabbed a small cloud, which he quickly used to cushion her fall. "I've got you, buddy," he said.

"S-soarin…" Fleetfoot said through gritted teeth. "Get that stuff off me… it hurts… it hurts so much…"

While Soarin went to gather a raincloud to wash the acidic slime off Fleetfoot's body, Spitfire and the rest of the Wonderbolts rallied for a counterattack.

"All right team, a direct assault involving body contact is a no-go. Rapidfire, Surprise, gather as many thunderclouds as you can, while the rest of us distract the creature. If we can't take it down with tackles, we'll just have to light it up like a Hearth's Warming Eve tree," Spitfire said, determination in her voice.

Suddenly and without a warning, Vitreous fired a bolt of lightning from its pupil. The Wonderbolts had barely enough time to evade the attack.

"What in the name of Celestia…? That's not fair, that thing is shooting back!" Surprise shouted.

"Hang in there, team!" Spitfire shouted. "Help is on the way."

'I sure hope so,' she thought to herself. 'Rainbow Dash, don't let us down…'

"HYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Spitfire looked up as an all-too familiar cry pierced the skies above them, and a cyan pegasus flew towards Vitreous at top speed, leaving a rainbow trail behind her. Rainbow Dash just barely flew past the eye monster… and scattered the eyeball swarm in all directions with a spectacular Sonic Rainboom.

As the Wonderbolts cheered Rainbow Dash on, Spitfire let out a sigh. "I should have never doubted her… but she just had to make a big entrance, didn't she?"

Shortly after Rainbow Dash's attack, a barrage of magic beams was shot at the enemy. Spitfire turned her head and saw Princess Twilight herself coming to defend Cloudsdale… and behind her, an army of bat ponies.

"Squadron A, go and protect the civilians," the commander shouted. "Squadron B, join the princess in the attack. Chaaaaarge!"

There were also two pegasus ponies Spitfire had never seen in her life. One of them was holding a strange bow weapon that shot arrows of light at Vitreous and its spawn, while the other one shot lightning bolts DIRECTLY FROM HER HOOVES!

"Am I going crazy?" Spitfire muttered to herself, then she shook her head. She had a battle to fight.

"Sorry I'm late," Rainbow Dash said as she flew up to Spitfire. "Had to gather a couple of friends."

"How is the situation?" Twilight asked as she joined them.

"The civilians were told to stay inside the buildings," Spitfire said. "Most of them are hiding in the weather factory, our most sturdy building made out of the densest clouds. Recruits from the Wonderbolt Academy were ordered to protect them while we hold the monsters off. I thought we could make it, but those things are tougher than I thought. But with all this help, we won't lose."

Twilight wished she was as confident as Spitfire. But even with the additional Nocturnal forces and her own magic, the eye monster was still a formidable foe. Physical contact had to be avoided, and as it turned out, it was very hard to pierce the protective layer of slime with regular weapons. It caused them to bounce off harmlessly, or even worse, dissolve. But the Nocturnals still fought with resolve, even as they were burnt by acid and blasted by bolts of electricity.

"We still have a chance if we give it all we got," Rainbow Dash shouted. "Come on, we've got work to do."

Twilight nodded, and they joined the battle. It was a long and arduous struggle, but as the fight went on, more and more of Vitreous' spawns fell to the attacks of the pegasi and bat ponies.

"And another one!" Rainbow Dash grinned as she blasted a couple of eyeballs to bits, using her Buccaneer Blaze. She chuckled to herself. "Easy peasy!"

"Rainbow Dash, look out!" Twilight shouted as Vitreous' main eyeball emerged from the clouds, taking aim at the rainbow-maned mare. But before it was able to launch an attack, a huge bolt of lightning zapped through the sky and electrified the monster several times. The lightning bolt emerged from the other side and turned into a smirking pegasus mare with a blond mane. "Looks like I saved your butt… oh wait, you call it flank, don't you?"

"Sparky?" Rainbow Dashed said in surprise. "How did you do that?"

"Ah, a girl has her tricks," Sparky winked.

A shrill screech then caught both of their attentions. As they looked up, they saw how all of Cloudsdale was suddenly engulfed by a dark shadow that was cast upon the sky city… by a massive swarm of horrifying, red-eyed bat creatures… who were lead by a screeching bat pony with a pink mane and yellow fur.

Rainbow Dash looked up at her in shock. "Fluttershy…"


	36. Revealing the Trickster

"Everypony, stay in formation!" Twilight shouted. "We can't let the monsters get to the factory, there are civilians in there… AAARGH!"

"Princess!" Spitfire gasped in terror when Twilight was electrocuted by a lightning bolt.

"I'm fine," Twilight muttered, even though the tips of her wings were still twitching. She was starting to realize just how much her alicorn body was able to endure. "It still hurt like Tartarus…" She glared up to the giant main eye of Vitreous, which was floating right above her. "All right, that's it. I've just had enough of this. You wanna see some magic? HERE, HAVE SOME MOTHERBUCKING MAGIC!"

Spitfire's jaw dropped when the princess fired a huge beam of pure magic from her horn at the floating eyeball. And when it hit, the monster exploded in a giant mess of goop that splattered everywhere.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Spitfire shouted, and all the Wonderbolts and Night Guards in the vicinity barreled or dodged out of the acidic slime's way. Spitfire stared at Twilight in disbelief.

"Ehehehe… oops?" Twilight chuckled sheepishly. "I guess that was a bit of overkill, wasn't it?"

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was dealing with her own problems.

"Fluttershy! You have to snap out of it," she shouted as she dodged the Flutterbat's aerial assaults again and again.

"It's no use," a raspy voice echoed. "Even if for some reason your words would find their way into her suppressed mind, she would be unable to respond. I control the bats, so she is under my control."

"What the… who are you?" Rainbow asked as she looked up. She saw a dark, spooky figure that looked like it wore a cloak made completely out of black bats… or maybe the creature itself was made of bats. It had a sinister grin on its face and carried a huge scythe.

"I am Gomess, and my master Ghirahim sends his regards," the creature cackled. "Attack, my swarm!" With a motion of his scythe, more bats spread across all of Cloudsdale, like a shroud of shadows. At the same time, Fluttershy's attacks became more and more aggressive.

Rainbow winced when one of Fluttershy's strikes connected, leaving a hoof-shaped imprint on her face. "Dang it, Fluttershy… I don't want to hurt you…"

But Fluttershy didn't listen. With a growl, she prepared for another lunge, but then, powerful clawed limbs were wrapped around her body.

"Sorry, Shy," Gilda grunted as she restrained Fluttershy as well as she could. "But this is for your own good. Dash! You go ahead and give that creep a good thrashing, you hear? I'll try to keep Flutters under control as best as I can."

"You sure you're able to handle her all on your own?" Rainbow asked.

"You wound me, Dash," Gilda smirked. "You honestly think I'd let Fluttershy of all ponies beat me up? You know I've tangled with much worse." She grimaced when the Flutterbat kicked her into the stomach. "Oof… just get a move on, will ya? Keeping a hold on her is not as easy as it looks."

"Thanks, Gilda… I owe you one…" Rainbow gave her childhood friend a grateful nod and then flew up to Gomess, who was still spreading his bats over the battlefield. While Vitreous and his little eyes were dealt with, the battle was far from over with the arrival of this new menace.

"Taking control of Fluttershy… I'll show him," Rainbow grumbled as she flew at the creature with increasing velocity. "Ready to learn what a Sonic Rainboom feels like?"

The feelings were all too familiar to her now. The feeling of the air being parted by her hooves, the wind that tousled her mane, the adrenaline being pumped through her blood, all that was left was the explosion of speed, sound, power and color at the end of it.

Gomess turned his head… and smirked as she was speeding towards him. In the final split second before she hit her target, Rainbow realized that her signature move might not have the intended effect on this particular enemy. But she was unable to stop herself now, she slammed right into his swarm of bats… and right through it.

Confused that she couldn't feel anything at all, the pegasus slowed herself down and looked back at the monster. There was no sonic boom, no explosion of color, nothing. "What the… what happened?" she asked in confusion. "Why didn't it work?"

"Stupid pony," Gomess grinned. "Do you honestly believe your feeble attempt to harm me would have worked? Nothing can harm me." He laughed. "I and all of my swarm are composed of the deepest of darkness. We can never be harmed by conventional means. How can you harm shadows? How can you attack the night?"

"SILENCE!" a booming voice came from the heavens. "You shall not speak of my sister's domain in such a manner, creature! And you shall not harm my subjects any longer!"

A brilliant light shone upon the whole battlefield. Whenever it touched the bats, they were swept away and dissolved into nothingness. All of the ponies gazed up upon the glorious image of their beloved princess.

"It's Princess Celestia!" Twilight shouted with joy. "She's finally back."

Gomess grimaced at the appearance of the alicorn. Even though he was visibly shivering, he shouted: "Foolish princess! My master is aligned with powers that have vanquished your sort millennia ago… you cannot win!"

"Many have claimed this and still they fell before me, including the Master of Chaos, the King of Shadows and even my own sister…" Celestia said as she glared down at him. "If your master wants to harm these ponies, he will have to come here himself. You are nothing but a shade that withers away in the brilliance of the sun… begone!" And from her horn, she fired a ray of light as bright as the sun. It tore apart the layer of dark bats that surrounded the creature like a cloak, revealing a pulsating core in its middle and tore right through it. Gomess didn't even have the chance to scream as he disappeared, just like his swarm.

All of Cloudsdale erupted with cheer as the pegasi and Nocturnals welcomed their princess in their middle. As Celestia flew down to Cloudsdale's grand plaza in front of the stadium, Spitfire and Night Glide landed in front of her, bowing respectfully.

Twilight, however, just ran up to her former mentor as soon as her hooves touched the clouds and welcomed her with a warm hug. "You're back! How did things go with Discord?"

"I think I managed to convince him to help us," Celestia said. "Although I had to agree to a condition he had… he wanted to try and speak to the dark army's master before we attack."

"Discord wants to speak instead of causing chaos?" Twilight asked, completely baffled. "Are you sure we're talking about the same person here?"

"He has his reasons, and it is not my place to tell you about his motives," Celestia said. "First things first, though… I missed most of the fight. Are there any casualties?"

"A large number of injuries, mostly acid burns and electrocutions, your Highness," Night Glide said. "But fortunately, there were no deaths as of yet."

"The medics are treating the wounded and I am glad to report that most of the Wonderbolts are still ready for duty," Spitfire saluted. "After this cowardly attack, we are more than willing to fly into battle for Equestria."

"Your bravery is commendable, but give your fellow ponies some time to rest, Captain," Celestia ordered.

"Hey! If you have medics, get one over here, pronto!" shouted Gilda as she landed nearby, cradling the unconscious form of Fluttershy. She was still in her bat form and had a couple of bruises.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight gasped as she ran at her friend's side. "What happened to her?"

"W-well, she was kicking me in the shins… and I had to restrain her somehow… so I kind of… fought back…"

"Dangit, G," Rainbow said as she landed next to them. "This is Fluttershy we're talking about. Couldn't you have treated her a bit gentler?"

"Hey, this 'gentle' pony tried to bite my tail off!" Gilda shouted.

"It's okay, her injuries are minor," Celestia said. "And I can tell you meant well, brave griffon. From what I know, you are the new-awakened Sage of Kindness, are you not?"

Visibly taken aback that she was so suddenly addressed by Celestia herself, Gilda coughed a bit and muttered: "Y-yeah, uh… that's me… Gilda the sage… kindness rules and stuff…"

"I'll get a medic right away," Spitfire said as she flew off.

"Hey, can we stay on topic here?" Rainbow asked. "What's the matter with Fluttershy's appearance? Why doesn't she turn back into a regular pegasus? Twilight, can't you do something?"

"Let me take a closer look…" Night Glide said as she stepped towards Fluttershy. She gently stroked her mane.

After a moment, Fluttershy started to stir. "She's waking up," Rainbow realized with joy.

Slowly, the yellow bat pony opened her eyes. Those weren't the mindless eyes of a feral animal anymore, but the eyes of a confused and frightened pony. She looked up at Night Glide. "M… mom?"

"Hey there, sweetie," Night Glide smiled down at her. "It's been a while… you look good."

Fluttershy started to sniffle. "Oh, oh Mom… it was so horrible… I've done so many bad things and… and I wanted to hurt Rainbow Dash… I'm a bad pony…"

"Sshhhhh, it's okay," Night Glide said softly as she hugged her daughter. "That wasn't you, you weren't in your right mind. It's going to be fine, sweetie… it's going to be fine."

Fluttershy cried into her mother's embrace and Celestia tilted her head. "Let's give them a moment of privacy," she said quietly and she, Twilight, Rainbow and Gilda left them alone for the moment.

"Is she going to be all right?" Rainbow asked as she looked back at her friend with worry.

"I think Fluttershy is stronger than you think, Rainbow Dash," Celestia said. "She might be devastated by the things she was forced to do, but I am confident that she'll recover in time. Most importantly, she has a caring mother and good friends to help her. She will be fine."

"Heck yeah, she will," Gilda nodded. "After all, it was Flutters who started that group for me and Scoots and all those other fellows to help us deal with our own problems. She may not be a griffon, but she's as tough as ponies can get."

"Gilda is right, Rainbow," Twilight smiled. "As long as Fluttershy has us to help her, she will be okay. Right now, there are a lot of other things we need to take care of."

"That's right," Celestia nodded. "And one of these things is standing right in front of me." She stared straight ahead at the small 'special task force' of White Wing, Sparky, Splinterhoof and Light Beam.

Twilight looked at them with a puzzled expression. "Wait a minute… Splinterhoof? Light Beam? When did you guys get here? How did you get here? Did you use the cloud walking spell, Light Beam?"

"Light Beam? Is that the name you gave my ponies?" Celestia asked as she frowned at the green-maned unicorn mare.

Light Beam smiled. "Hello, Celestia. How lovely to see you again."

"See? I told you this was a bad idea," White Wing sighed. "I knew they'd figure it out eventually."

"Oh shut it, angel face," Splinterhoof muttered. "We would have been fine if Celestia hadn't shown up."

"I guess the cat is out of the bag," Light Beam shrugged. "No need to hide our true identities any longer." A soft glow surrounded her and Splinterhoof, and when it was over, they both had turned into alicorns. On top of that, Light Beam had grown as tall and regal as Celestia, while Splinterhoof kept her small size.

Celestia shook her head with a sigh. "Mother, what are you doing here? Is that Farore's daughter? And why did you bring an angel and an elemental to Equestria?"

"Hey!" the pony formerly known as Sparky said with a frown. "I'm a thunder goddess."

"Demigoddess at best," the little alicorn said. "Now hush, Phosphora. Leave the talking to us."

"All right, Lady Viridi…"

Of all the assembled ponies (and griffon), Twilight was the first to regain her speech. "Wh-what? What's going on? Who is this? Why are there more and more alicorns appearing in Equestria?"

"You are such a rookie," Viridi chuckled. "You know next to nothing about other deities, or even other worlds. Did you honestly think Celestia and Luna are the only divine beings that exist?"

"You will try and treat her with respect, little one," Celestia sternly said to Viridi. "Even though she doesn't know as much as you do, she has proven herself to be worthy of these powers."

"Then why have you never told her about the multiverse, auntie?" Viridi scoffed. "A true goddess knows everything about every world."

"Can anypony make sense already?" Twilight nearly shouted. "Who are those ponies?"

"Viridi, let me handle this," the green-maned alicorn said. Smiling, she stepped up to Twilight. "So you are the protégé my daughter has told me so much about. I am very honored to finally meet you, Twilight Sparkle. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Palutena, Goddess of Light and mother of Celestia and Luna. These are Viridi, Goddess of Nature and daughter of Farore… the general of my personal army of angels, Pit… and Phosphora, a general within Viridi's army, the Forces of Nature."

"Um… hi there," Pit said sheepishly, while Phosphora grinned and waved.

Twilight didn't say anything. For a couple of moments, she stood completely still.

Rainbow carefully poked her hoof against Twilight's head. "Um… Twilight? Helloooo? Are you still there?"

Pit looked up at his goddess. "Lady Palutena? I think you broke her…"

* * *

"This is absurd…" Ghirahim muttered to himself as he trotted in circles in the uppermost chamber of his newly-constructed tower. "This can't be happening. How can they oppose me? How can they rally an army against me? Don't they know the forces they are dealing with? I am Ghirahim! The Demon Lord! Right-hand sword of the Dark King, Demise!" He wanted to strike a regal pose by spreading his arms, but realized too late that he only had hooves.

"CURSE THIS FEEBLE PONY BODY!" he screamed, making the Diamond Dogs and Bokoblins in the tower tremble from the volume of his voice.

"Awww, is the little lord of dorkness throwing a tantrum?" someone sitting on his throne chuckled.

Ghirahim spun around. "Who DARES sit upon the throne Ghirahim made for himself, to rule over this world for the greatness of his master and his… mmmmph!" He reached up for his mouth, but only found a closed zipper there.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," Discord smirked. "Do you have any idea how annoying you are? No wonder old Demisey usually carried you around as a sword whenever he was around. Swords don't talk, as far as I remember."

Frustrated, Ghirahim opened the zipper with his magic and it disappeared. "Explain yourself! Who are you and what is your business with the demon lord?"

"Discord, spirit of chaos, nice to meet you, yadda yadda…" Discord yawned. "Enough with the introductions already, they tend to bore me. Oh, did anyone tell you you have a very nice taste in chairs? Very comfortable, too. It could use something, though…" He snapped his fingers, and the throne transformed into an inflatable blow-up chair. "There, isn't that much better?" The spirit of chaos leaned back with a content sigh.

"You are an entity with lots of power, apparently," Ghirahim said. "What is it you wish of me? Do you want the favor of my master to help us overthrow the ponies?"

"Me, the favor of that humorless blob of black scales and sharp teeth you call a master?" Discord bent over with laughter. "Oh, that's a good one. Pray tell, what's he going to do to the ponies once he arrives? Step on them with those adorably stubby toes of his?"

"ENOUGH!" Ghirahim roared, firing a barrage of gems at the giggling spirit. In a flash, Discord was on the other side of the room, and all that happened was that the chair he had been sitting in deflated after being pierced with razor-sharp gemstones.

"Now see what you did, you've ruined a perfectly good blow-up chair," Discord scoffed. "That's the last time I share a good joke with you."

"Don't you EVER insult my master again!" Ghirahim was fuming. "I'll show you what we are capable of if you don't remove yourself from this tower at once. On the other hand, don't bother… I'll destroy you anyway!"

"Now that isn't funny anymore, that's just cute," Discord grinned. "The little knife thinks it's threatening."

"I warned you…" Ghirahim muttered. His horn started glowing a dark red as he gathered all of his magic powers. "Oh Master Demise, hear your servant! Grace me with all the darkness you can give and let me destroy this infidel that dared to besmirch your greatness!"

Nothing happened… at first. But then, shadows started gathering behind Ghirahim. Discord watched with mild interest as the form of the dark horse began to manifest in front of him, staring back at the draconequus with its glowing, red eyes.

Ghirahim chuckled. "You've taken your last breath today, trespasser. For today you shall taste the wrath of Demise!"

"Demise?" Discord pulled a pair of binoculars out of nowhere and looked around the room, even out of the window. "Now that's strange, I can't see him anywhere. Did you maybe hide him under your oh-so fabulous cape?"

"Make insulting jokes all you want, but you cannot ignore the power that is my master," Ghirahim sneered. "Standing right behind me!"

Discord took another look. "Oh. Wait, you think THAT is your master?" He started laughing again. "Oh, that is rich. You actually managed to fool him this whole time, brother? I almost feel sorry for the poor guy."

Ghirahim's left eye started twitching. "Wh… what did you say? Brother…?"

The dark horse sighed in a voice that was completely unfamiliar to Ghirahim. "Ah Discord, did you have to spoil my little surprise? It was starting to get really enjoyable. This little clown would have been willing to do my bidding for all eternity. If I wanted, I could have let him jump out of the window, just for my amusement."

"What…? Who are…? You are not my master…" the demon lord stuttered as he turned to face the being he had believed to be his master.

"Bingo!" the dark horse chuckled. "Can you believe it, little brother? The little demon lady actually can think for herself. Looks like Demise put a brain somewhere in that dense head after all."

"Now don't feel bad, Ghi-Ghi," Discord snickered as he walked up to the form of the dark horse. "You've been tricked by the very best. Even I was fooled by some of his tricks, back when we were still young. Hey, that reminds me: Do you remember the chocolate syrup in Celestia's shampoo?"

"Oh yes, and the barnacles in Palutena's robes," the entity that had been posing as Demise laughed. "I swear to father, those were the days."

"Who… who are you?" Ghirahim muttered. He never wanted to admit anything like this to anyone, but he was getting afraid. He was feeling vulnerable, exposed, at the mercy of these two tricksters that seemed to know so much more about what was going on than he.

"Let me introduce you to the greatest prankster alive, Ghirahim," Discord smiled. "Lord of the Underworld and a thorn in Palutena's side ever since the creation of time… Hades!"

The dark horse transformed into a grotesque figure, the caricature of a tall, muscular man with a wide grin on his face, his skin a chaotic mess of multi-colored swirls and patterns, his hair a wild combination of sickly green and blood red strands.

Hades took a bow in front of the flabbergasted demon lord. "The one and only! Hope you're not too disappointed that I am, in fact, not Demise. To tell you the truth, I've made a bet with myself to see just how far I would be able to go with this without you finding out my true identity, Ghirahim. Very far, as it turned out. Your devotion to Demise blinded you so much that you never once questioned my instructions. You've been an amusing little puppet, really."

"This can't be happening…" Ghirahim muttered as he collapsed in front of the two deities. "Tricked… all this time… but wait…" He looked up at Hades. "If you aren't my master… where is he?"

Hades shrugged. "Where he always was? Let's see, part of his power was sealed within the Master Sword and the other half… oh, that's right, it was reincarnated. Within that amusingly evil mortal desert man, what was his name again? Oh yes… Ganondorf."

"NO!" Ghirahim screamed. "No, I refuse to believe it! My master… stuck in the form of a MORTAL? That… that cannot be!"

"Oh please, you are just kidding yourself right now," Discord sighed. "Did you honestly think that all that he did, getting reincarnated again and again, using all those dark magics, acquiring the Triforce of Power… did you really think he did that because he was just really lucky?"

"He may not have known that he was the reincarnation of Demise, but he at least felt that this was his destiny," Hades said. "And while your little boss, Dark Lord Twinkletoes, is gathering his old followers in his old sandbox, all you managed to do was following a phantom around. Nicely done." And he started clapping, very slowly.

"But why?" Ghirahim asked with disbelief. "Why did you do all of this? Why would you go to such lengths and put up a façade like this? What are your true intentions if not the resurrection of Demise?"

"You know, I've been wondering that as well, Hades," Discord said. "What is it that you're trying to do? I've been perfectly happy with leaving you alone, letting you play your little game… that is, until Celestia came along. And, you know how it is, I really didn't want to help her. But, she made me curious about your true plans. Would you be willing to share them with me? I mean, we are family."

"Oh come on, Discord," Hades said. "If family was to important to you, you would have paid me a visit in the Underworld a long time ago. Well, during the time you weren't imprisoned in stone, that is. But I suppose I can tell you what I want. Who knows, maybe you'll want to join me afterwards."

"I'm all ears, " Discord said, transforming into a pair of huge wax ears.

"Well then, where do I start?" Hades asked. With a wave of his hand, he transformed the remains of the blow-up chair back into Ghirahim's throne and made himself comfortable. "Ah, yes. Chaos!"

Discord blinked. "Chaos?"

Hades grinned. "Chaos! Your favorite, isn't it? So delightful, so easy to spread when you're dealing with mortals. That is, unless you have spoilsport gods like Palutena or her little daughters to ruin it." He sighed dramatically. "The last time I wanted to spread some fun, they all ganged up against me: Viridi, Palutena, and her little angel toy, Pitty-Pat. That's not fair, is it? And all just because I killed a couple of humans to use their souls to create monsters for my own personal army. Well, maybe it was hundreds, thousands or billions of them, but who keeps count of that? I mean, what do I care if the delicate balance of the world is threatened? But of course, nobody would see it my way and they ruined it all for me. So, what else could I do afterwards? Try it again? Not a very smart move, if they could just stop me again. Also, very predictable and boring. No, no, this time around, I want to work on a much bigger level. This time… I want to spread chaos on ALL the worlds!"

"Excuse me, my ear canals must be clogged," the Discord-ear said as he produced a giant cotton swab out of nowhere and started using it to clean himself in and out. "But did you just say ALL the worlds?"

"You heard me," Hades nodded. "Why only deal with Palutena's little home turf when I can spread mayhem and carnage on Hyrule, Equestria and so many other worlds? At first I was pretty random with my actions, dropping a couple of comets made of pure chaos here and there. The results were pretty amusing, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn't really change much. So I came up with another plan… My thoughts went to Hyrule and how its inhabitants could consider themselves lucky to lead such interesting lives. Always a huge and powerful monster on the loose, always some dark lord or wizard around to make things interesting. Sure, Ganon and his kin are pretty dull and humorless compared to the two of us, but the results are what matter. So I compared Hyrule with the always sunny, always funny, always colorful land you have chosen for your chaotic little romps… Equestria. And I wondered: What would happen if I released all the bad guys from Hyrule here? Would the cute little ponies be able to stand up against them like Palutena did? Also, Equestria has some pretty interesting shadowy individuals as well. What do you think might happen if we revive eeevil King Sombra and show him the wonderful world of Kanto? Or if we allow the changeling swarm to be loose on the peaceful town and city of those talking, walking animals? Do you see the possibilities?"

Discord raised an eyebrow. "That's it? You did all of this just because you felt bored?"

"Don't tell me you had a better reason for your little rampage 100 years ago," Hades said. "At least I had the dignity not to befriend my enemy. Oh yes, I've heard about the little tea partys and picnics you attended… tell me, do you have any shame left after that?"

"Now now, that's simply not fair," Discord frowned, crossing his arms. "Do you know how hard it is to say no to a picnic when Fluttershy looks at you with those adorable eyes of hers?"

"Brother, are you forgetting who you're talking to?" Hades yawned. "You can't lie to me, you know that. I gave you my story, so give me yours already. What is it you're planning with the ponies? Why are you pretending to be their buddy? You could have wrapped them around your claws by now. The yellow one even REFUSED to help turning you back to stone."

"You… you… you wouldn't understand," Discord muttered.

"I wouldn't? Well, I understand that I have no intention of halting my plan just because you befriended some ponies. Come on, I can buy you a new pony anytime. We'll even build you a nice little petting zoo, how does that sound?"

"It's not like you were always around to play when we were younger," Discord muttered. "Not after father… passed on. He left me in YOUR care, and what did you do? Leave me stranded on a world populated by technicolor pony weirdos, in the company of the two princesses that never liked me. Of course things got boring pretty fast, I tried ti have some fun, and then they had to use those Elements of Harmony to turn me into a lawn ornament. But did you ever do anything to free me? No, you didn't even visit. You were too busy playing with Palutena and Pitty-Poo!"

"What can I say?" Hades shrugged. "It's a hobby of mine."

"Maybe I really prefer having ponies as friends," Discord muttered. "They are much more fun than you are, big brother. I don't know why I wanted to stay with you all these years… You've always been father's favorite…"

Hades sighed. "Don't be like that, Discord…"

"Um, excuse me…" Ghirahim spoke up from the ground.

The two gods looked down at him. "Oh, he's still here? I nearly forgot about him," Hades said. "Oh well, I'll just put him away until I feel like playing with him again." He snapped his fingers, and Ghirahim found himself hanging from a weapons rack on the wall of the room. He wanted to shout and complain, but realized he couldn't do that anymore. Hades had taken away his mouth.

"Don't worry, you'll be able to play again very soon," Hades smiled at the helpless demon lord. "Demise or not, your little army of monsters can still stir up some nice trouble in this world… at least until I found the remaining sages. Thanks for the help, by the way. I don't think I could have found the first two without your help."

"The Sages?" Discord asked. "So there's more to this whole story than just fun and games. You are trying to find the Sages of Equestria. Tell me, what do you need them for?"

"I would have told you, but you don't want to play with me anymore, so you're out of luck."

Discord narrowed his eyes. "Hades… I'm warning you. We may be brothers and I may have promised father I would never lift a claw to hurt you… but if you insist on hurting the ponies, I will not stand by idly."

"Do you honestly believe you could stop me, little brother?" Hades smirked. "Do you remember who always won in those little fights we had in the past? I am older, I am bigger and I am stronger than you, Discord, so go ahead and turn some clouds into cotton candy someplace else. Big brother's got work to do."

"I see…" Discord frowned. "Well, I've done everything I can. You don't want to listen to reason. But don't say I didn't warn you, Hades… Palutena already knows that you are involved."

"What does she think she can do?" Hades huffed. "Send her little angel at me, again? I doubt she can even find me."

"She knows that you're right here…"

The god of the Underworld laughed. "See, this is why I've always been father's favorite. You are always a step behind me, Discord. Why would I set foot into this world if I know that Palutena's here, too?" And with a burst of smoke, he turned into a piñata.

"Clever trick, Hades," Discord muttered. "But Palutena will be the least of your troubles when you run into Twilight…"


End file.
